More UAW workers bankrupt

[desmo9]

More UAW workers bankrupt

DETROIT -- Oscar Gray achieved the good life during 28 years of hard work at Delphi Corp. -- a six-figure income, a nice home in Holly and two vehicles.

But as Michigan's auto industry tanked in recent years, the forklift operator lost huge amounts of overtime pay and gradually sank into financial ruin. Saddled with $469,000 in debt, he declared bankruptcy last month.

Gray isn't alone. Once the symbol of blue-collar prosperity, Michigan autoworkers are going bankrupt in alarming numbers as vehicle production declines and overtime pay dwindles.

The United Auto Workers' legal department has handled the bankruptcies of nearly 10,000 of its members, retirees and their families in Michigan since 2002, according to Detroit News research of court records. UAW lawyers estimate that Chapter 7 and Chapter 13 filings in Michigan have been growing at a 10 percent annual clip in recent years.

The bankruptcies show that many Michigan autoworkers are failing to scale back their lifestyles in the face of massive changes slamming the state's bread-and-butter industry.

Gray didn't lose his job. His health isn't failing, and he is not going through a divorce -- the typical reasons many declare bankruptcy.

Gray has been losing overtime. His gross pay was cut $16,000 one year, sliding to $87,000, and may dip again because Delphi is considering a Chapter 11 filing.

"You count on something your whole life and then it gets jerked around," Gray said.

While layoffs have soared, it's often autoworkers still on the job who are drowning in debt.

Loss of overtime is one of the top reasons autoworkers have sought bankruptcy protection the past four years, say attorneys for UAW Legal Service Plan. The plan provides free legal aid to UAW members, retirees and immediate family members.

The typical autoworker in Michigan has lost five hours of overtime per week since 1997 -- which means an average annual loss of $10,000 per worker, according to the Michigan Department of Labor & Economic Growth. For workers in the hardest-hit plants, the loss of income can be far greater.

Overtime at major factories, such as Ford Motor Co.'s Wayne and Wixom assembly plants and General Motors Corp.'s Pontiac East plant, has dropped sharply or been eliminated. In years past, workers at those plants regularly clocked significant overtime.

In addition to a drop in overtime pay, annual cash bonuses paid by Detroit automakers to factory workers have declined in recent years as profits have decreased or disappeared. At Ford, where bonuses averaged $6,700 as recently as 2000, profit-sharing payouts averaged $600 for 2004.


Lavish lifestyles persist


Despite the loss of time-and-a-half pay, some Michigan autoworkers continue to live large.

Many bankrupt autoworkers own two homes -- one is usually up north -- which means multiple mortgages. Most have two or more cars and sometimes a boat or snowmobile payment, according to information culled from cases filed by autoworkers in U.S. Bankruptcy Court in the Eastern District of Michigan.


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http://www.detnews.com/2005/autosins...A01-318432.htm

[desmo9]

Can you hear me playing my fiddle? The line worker can't live on $87K?

If this doesn't reinforce sentiment on the extent of the union problem facing GM, nothing will.

The *biggest* cause of offshoring. No doubt. And it's ironic, given the union's lobbying posture to preserve American manufacturing jobs. I call it hypocrisy.

[chickenkicker]

6 figures for driving a forklift!? That's freaking ridiculous. These unions have long outlives their usefullness and need to be dissolved.

[Mischief007]

For 28 years and he never planned for a rainy day. Talk about financial suicide and still complaining at 87k a year. I'll take that wage and be very happy.

Some people are just too freaking spoiled. Sorry if I sound like an ass but I make 1/4 of that and have money for a rainy day.

[paul8488]

You work for Sears for 30 years at a decent wage, and your benefits and pension are taken away. That's crappy. I feel for you. You work at GM for 30 years at an industry-leading wage, and you can't maintain your $100,000+ / year lifestyle with $87,000. Tough.

[WannabeRich]

$87,000 for driving a forklift? Where do I sign up?

[mrfunji]

The real problem is he (and most other workers) based a whole lifestyle around overtime pay. I don't get overtime, and even if I did I wouldn't take it for granted. That's where the problem lies. Overtime does not equal base salary, and shame on people for expecting it.

[yoblues]

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOO, once again boys and girls, who the hell signed off on a contract that would give a fork lift driver 80k a year? Probably the same suit that gave himself a huge salary, stock option plan and a free car so he could rape the company in retirement. I swear most of you are either GM suits or your parents are. I hope the hell your all rich, because some day you will be 65. I hope your saving/investing a MINIMUM of 20% of your income because if your not, it's catfood and crackers for you at retirement.

[mbukukanyau]

Easy come easy go

[member12]

poor Gray, he just can't manage to live on his $100K+ income at his friggin forcklift job. Hello- I have an undergraduate's degree at a state college and I am currently paying my way through school to get my MBA, and after I have paid off my student loans, I still won't net near what a UAW forklift operator will. I don't feel sorry for you, moron. There are tons of forklift operators in your hometown who can do the same work as you and are willing to do it for less than half as much.

UAW- screw you and everyone in your organization for rapping one of American's greatest companies and the automotive consumer. I hope you collapse and half to pay for you own viagra like every other impotent retiree.

Its hard to blame rising health care cost with articels like this.

Teacher pay scale in East Baton Rouge parish for a teacher with a batchelor's degree (not a masters)
1 year experience- 32,244 per year
10years experience- 36,861 per year
30years experience- 39,211 per year
35years experience- 42,850 per year

teachers can retire at 32 years of experience if they choose to do so with 95 percent pay and health benefits for the rest of their life and have the option to contiue teaching at their current salary plus retirement packages after one year.

Those teachers all went to college (that cost money)and half to work 8 hours per day, and despite common belif, during the summer as well. Their contracts are not renegotiated every three years, either.

I don't think a forklift operator should make 100K a year even if he uses his own equipment. I don't think an assembly line worker should get 55K a year, either when there are thousands who are willing to do the job in the same city for considerably less money.

[timman]

Originally Posted by Mischief007

For 28 years and he never planned for a rainy day. Talk about financial suicide and still complaining at 87k a year. I'll take that wage and be very happy.
Some people are just too freaking spoiled. Sorry if I sound like an ass but I make 1/4 of that and have money for a rainy day.

What do you do for a living??

[member12]

Originally Posted by paul8488

You work for Sears for 30 years at a decent wage, and your benefits and pension are taken away. That's crappy. You work at GM for 30 years at an industry-leading wage, and you can't maintain your $100,000+ / year lifestyle with $87,000. Tough.

What happened to sears workers is sad and Sears should be punished for that.

I personally belive that forklift operators should not be making 87K a year, much less 100K. I hope Gray and his other forklift operators friends enjoy his 3000 square foot house and his Escladade, he may have to downgrade a little b/c of his salary decrease. Wow, what the hell was he doing to build up that much debt, anyway. He must be a dumba$s.

[yoblues]

The Unions did not destroy GM. The idiots suits (with their MBA's) did for signing off on idiotic contracts. Is that what they teach people in MBA school, how to sign off on idiot contracts that do not make good business sense?

[member12]

Originally Posted by yoblues

The Unions did not destroy GM. The idiots suits (with their MBA's) did for signing off on idiotic contracts. Is that what they teach people in MBA school, how to sign off on idiot contracts that do not make good business sense?

Yeah, if I were Wagner, I'd resign. But if they were threatened with strikes, and belive me, over the years, they were, I can't sympathize with those workers. Sabatage and strikes are what did this to GM.

[timman]

Originally Posted by desmo9

Can you hear me playing my fiddle? The line worker can't live on $87K?

If this doesn't reinforce sentiment on the extent of the union problem facing GM, nothing will.

The *biggest* cause of offshoring. No doubt. And it's ironic, given the union's lobbying posture to preserve American manufacturing jobs. I call it hypocrisy.

No doubt in your mind...no doubt...even if the person in this story made $18,000/year he can be replaced by somebody in another country for $1,600 a year...yep...about $30.00/week in Thailand. Thats thirty dollars/week. Try again on the "biggest" cause part.

Here is more the "Cause" http://www.worldnetdaily.com/news/ar...TICLE_ID=44965

There is not one person reading this post that cannot be replaced by someone in a third world country for a heck of allot less...remember that.