CAW leaders defend union wages (lower than many European nations and Japan) corrected

Sorry: http://lfpress.ca/newsstand/Business/2008/11/27/7551491-sun.html

By NORMAN DE BONO

Thu, November 27, 2008

The blame for the crisis in the automotive industry does not lie with the men and women working on the plant floor, but with a financial crisis fueled by poor lending practices in the U.S., London labour leaders heard yesterday.

The national executive of the Canadian Auto Workers met with CAW leaders in London and region yesterday morning, presenting a detailed economic analysis of why Detroit automakers General Motors, Ford and Chrysler are in crisis.

It's not about union wages, CAW economist Jim Stanford said. It is about the inability of banks to lend money in the U.S.


The CAW's president Ken Lewenza met with local union leaders yesterday. (Ken Wightman, Sun Media)

"We are hearing a lot of negative rhetoric every day about union wages," said Dave MacArthur, chairperson of the Sterling Truck plant in St. Thomas, which is closing in March 2009. "I even heard from my own mother that unions make too much money, but now we can communicate to our members what the truth is."

Wages and benefits of auto workers here are comparable to those in the U.S and lower than many European nations and Japan, said Stanford.

"No convincing economic case can be made that labour costs are the cause of the Big Three's global decline. CAW members can work without wages for one year and it will offset the operating losses of the Big Three for 11 days," he said.

FULL story at link.

But I'd love to read it all..

Thanx in advance Omaha Steve :applause: