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Workers Not To Blame

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FROM A READER

Published: January 3, 2009

Editor:

Regarding Stan Lachut's Dec. 31 letter to the editor "Drive Crazy," in which he attributed the problems of the domestic auto industry to high wages of auto workers, four points must be made.

First, Mr. Lachut clearly believes the drivel he hears emanating from the loony right. If auto workers were truly making $71 per hour, they would be earning more than $147,000 per year. The auto workers I know would certainly wonder where the extra money is, for they are lucky to gross $60,000 per year, or somewhere around $29 per hour in actual wages.

Second, whatever the costs, greedy auto workers are not the cause. They don't determine the wages. Whatever they are paid is negotiated with management, which has the right and the power to say no. Management is to blame for agreeing to the "legacy" retiree pension and health-care costs. They make up some $25 per hour of that $71 figure. The rest is the cost of benefits.

Third, good for whatever the auto workers can get. They work in a dangerous occupation and should be rewarded.

Finally, I must wonder what people are thinking when they advocate lower wages for hard-working Americans. I thought the point was to always better ourselves.

Kraig Kircher
Holiday

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