Gould 0738 wrote:

Blame both GM and the unions. The plant closing is due exclusively to neither
party.

However, with increased automation in an attempt to cut costs, union labor
workforces
have been cut...perhaps due to the high costs of those union workers.

One also has to wonder about the efficiency of an old plant like that and
whether or
not GM attempted to modernize it to keep it as efficient as possible.

I would have to agree. The way they make cars these days, it doesn't matter
very much if the guys on the line are getting
$8 an hour or a decent, living wage.

Being competitive today is more about robotics and automation than whether the
workforce has been hired for the lowest conceivable dollar. There aren't as
many man hours in a car as just several years ago.


Which brings up an interesting hypothetical question. If we were to
"automate" all manufacturing, distribution, and information 100%, what
would we have left for the American worker to do?

The answer would probably be a good career choice for a high school
senior to contemplate.

Dave