Why It's Hard for U.S. Workers to Make a Living

As United States residents deal with financial woes such as high gasoline prices, big businesses are now showing the strain as a result. General Motors is now hit with a new strike by the United Auto Workers. Picket lines have formed all over the country as tensions run high. The auto workers and GM can't see eye to eye on important matters such as retirees' health care issues and job security. The number of GM employees has been declining through the years, for a variety of reasons. Partly due to a backlog of inventory and a decline of domestic auto sales, auto workers suffer as they see former loyal General Motors customers increasingly take their business to foreign car makers.

Having grown up in the Midwest, and seen firsthand the problems that arise when auto plants shut down, this is devastating for the families of workers. A friend of mine used to work for a plant that went on strike, and it carried on for a long time. He was getting nervous as both sides tried to wait and see who would give in first. On the verge of losing his home and using up the last of his savings, my friend was incredibly relieved when a resolution was met and he was allowed to return to work once again. His side had "won" but there were many people who suffered during the situation, who had no savings to rely on.

Hopefully, a resolution to this current strike will come soon, because life is expensive, and the hard working people from the auto plants all need to make a living. Between home foreclosures, skyrocketing gasoline prices and families with their sons and daughters fighting far away in Iraq, this poor country has been though enough financial and emotional strain already.

Midwesterners (and everyone else affected by the strikes) need the jobs and benefits to go with them. They shouldn't have to have to negotiate for basic workers' needs. As auto workers' jobs get outsourced and lost, the economy suffers. To keep the company profitable, they need to stop extravagant spending and pay those dedicated folks who show up to work everyday, to do their jobs on the line. As a loyal GM car buyer, I depend on the cars I buy to be well-made. The last thing the big shots need is to cut corners when it comes to those workers. We depend on them for our safety. If it ever got to the point that domestic cars aren't well made due to whatever reason, even I would switch to a foreign car if necessary.

Word to the wise, make the workers happy and end the strike. Find a way to give them what they want. Nationwide, we need jobs in our country, not shipped or paid elsewhere, and good healthcare for employees past and present. Time will tell what would happen. In the meantime, if you know someone affected by the strike and suffering, support them. Us consumers may not know all the economic facts of the situation, but as one who has seen the devastation closing plants can cause, it's better to get the problem figured out, so that General Motors will be able to regain its strength and continue to produce us loyal customers love to drive.