GM's plan to cut 30,000 jobs and close all or part of twelve North American operations is, according to leaders of the United Auto Workers, "disappointing, unfair, and unfortunate".(General Motors Corp.)(Brief Article)

* GM's plan to cut 30,000 jobs and close all or part of twelve North American operations is, according to leaders of the United Auto Workers, "disappointing, unfair, and unfortunate." Sympathy for laid-off workers is understandable, but it should not prevent our seeing what is truly unfortunate: GM has resisted market pressures long enough to attract the pruning forces of capitalism. In this, its hand has been forced by the UAW, whose workers are paid $26 per hour, with benefits that bring their total cost to $65 per hour, even as the average wage in the U.S. manufacturing sector has remained below $16 per hour. The UAW contract covers jobs that have nothing to do with car production--grass cutting ...