Yes, because ALL unions do SO MUCH to benefit their employees and symbiotically benefit their companies. I'd like to remind that there are quite a few unions out there that do little but suck up their members' union dues.
When something more than simple 'representation' is asked of them, they are strangely silent and often absent. When the reps are asked about it (I'm midwestern- I get to the point) they do little but make excuses. Maybe that's just my experience, but "union made" is not a guarantee of quality- quality of product nor quality of worker treatment.
X's point was that the number of American cars made in America is vanishingly small these days and if you break it down, many are merely assembled in America out of parts produced and shipped in from Asia. Her Harley, while made by American workers in Milwaukee or Kansas or Wherever, USA is basically 80-90% Asian, and we both know this because whenever something breaks (and it does, and it will) all the replacement parts read "made in Japan" (or Taiwan). ...as do all the parts for my Honda.My Chevy is actually a crappier, cheaper version of the Suzuki Grand Vitara from the same time period. If I want to 'upgrade' the appearance of things that break (and they will, it's 12 year old plastic), I just order the equivalent Suzuki part... or I would, if that Japanese/American co-owned company was still in business in Canada...
The other point is that it often doesn't matter where the parent company is located- Toyota has manufacturing plants here in the states, so if you want a car made in America, by Americans, paid American wages, buy a Toyota. A wholly made-in-America car is as easy to find as a TV made in the USA. By the time you pay American workers American wages to produce every little component in that thing, then assemble the car, it would no longer be affordable for most Americans.
Someone pointed out Ford didn't take bailout money- no, they didn't, because they had thought to diversify into the booming Asian market. GM didn't have that foresight, not to the degree that Ford did. %35 in Mazda wasn't a lot, but it was 'enough' to soften the blow.
I wish we could get the motor companies to release in America HALF the great cars and motorcycles that go to the European or Asian markets- Low mpg, great features, the bikes are smaller, lighter and more practical, but the mocos are just too smart- they know the average American won't buy them because of the 'name' or because it doesn't need to have the power output of a diesel truck for hauling groceries and 3.5 kids. Darn shame.



My Chevy is actually a crappier, cheaper version of the Suzuki Grand Vitara from the same time period. If I want to 'upgrade' the appearance of things that break (and they will, it's 12 year old plastic), I just order the equivalent Suzuki part... or I would, if that Japanese/American co-owned company was still in business in Canada...
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