UAW strike has Crumpy out of work.

[FrancSevin]

The UAW strike has Crumpy laid off. The wife is in now home 24 -7. A good thing as I miss her company when she is absent.

However, her income has been a big help financing our DIY projects around the house. And catching up on some bills left over from shutting down the business. We will miss the extra cash for a while.

She is nonunion contracted help in the IT department, making labels and window stickers for the newly minted trucks at the Wentzville plant. And that plant is the one GM plant where the union has targeted for walkout.

I think the unions are asking too much.
Four day work week, An additional paid "Holiday," and 41% raises.

We will be barely affected but sub-contractors surround the Wentzville plant, and they will be down as well. The hit to the local economy will be huge.

 

[Doc]

I figure they know they are asking for the outrageous and will settle somewhere in the middle. A 20 to 22% raise and another paid holiday.
40% raise would kill the industry they work for. Duh

 

[Melensdad]

I think the unions are asking too much.
Four day work week, An additional paid "Holiday," and 41% raises.

Pretty sure they are looking at how many members they will lose in the conversion to EV powertrains.

Very likely see a dip in automotive workers to the tune of 40%-50% of the labor force being gone when production of gas engines, drivetrains, and associated bits and bobs related to gas vehicles is converted.

Transaxle? Transmission? Drive shaft? All that stuff, and all the things related to those things, are not needed. Engines are complicated, far more parts, far more complex to machine and assemble. Lots of people needed just to build a gas engine. Electric motors are far smaller, easier to assemble, less machining, etc so fewer employees needed.

UAW is asking for the sky, moon & stars because their membership is going to be GONE, need retraining, and the few who survive and continue with their jobs will be lucky.

 

[m1west]

Pretty sure they are looking at how many members they will lose in the conversion to EV powertrains.

Very likely see a dip in automotive workers to the tune of 40%-50% of the labor force being gone when production of gas engines, drivetrains, and associated bits and bobs related to gas vehicles is converted.

Transaxle? Transmission? Drive shaft? All that stuff, and all the things related to those things, are not needed. Engines are complicated, far more parts, far more complex to machine and assemble. Lots of people needed just to build a gas engine. Electric motors are far smaller, easier to assemble, less machining, etc so fewer employees needed.

UAW is asking for the sky, moon & stars because their membership is going to be GONE, need retraining, and the few who survive and continue with their jobs will be lucky.

That and they just came out of a 4 year contract that was made before covid, everything has doubled since then, and its anyones guess what will happen in the next 4 years. Folks are not buying the electric vehicles in any numbers. I think electric cars and trucks are going to be the catalyst that shuts everything down, especially semi trucks that can go 200 miles on a charge then take a half a day to charge back up. Currently a diesel Truck can cover nearly 2000 miles before a refuel that takes 10 minutes. You think the supply chain is bad now, wait till that happens. Currently products I purchase to manufacture conveyors, Electric motors / gearboxes etc. that used to take 7 days to receive are now out to more than 3 months because of there material shortages. We are in a doom loop because of the policies that have been enacted.

 

[m1west]

Another question I have is, if an electrical vehicle requires half the labor and materials to produce, why to they cost 50% more to purchase?

 

[Melensdad]

Another question I have is, if an electrical vehicle requires half the labor and materials to produce, why to they cost 50% more to purchase?

Material costs are higher for the batteries.

They are also roughly 1000# heavier than similar gas vehicles, so they wear out tires faster too.

But there do appear to be economies of scale and technological advances that are making them go farther, charge faster, etc. Eventually they will have 10 minute recharges. Just not yet.

Honestly I'd buy one eventually.

 

[m1west]

Material costs are higher for the batteries.

They are also roughly 1000# heavier than similar gas vehicles, so they wear out tires faster too.

But there do appear to be economies of scale and technological advances that are making them go farther, charge faster, etc. Eventually they will have 10 minute recharges. Just not yet.

Honestly I'd buy one eventually.

eventually we will all have to, unless hydrogen makes some fast advances

 

[pirate_girl]

I have friends who have been employed at Dana for a year or so now.
They've recently laid off because of the UAW strike.

Then I saw this...