Politics of Buying a Car

Soon, I will be in the market for a car. I've looked over the specs, prices, and decided on a color. But I never thought I'd have to decide which one to buy based on union tactics. In short, the quote below has pushed me over the edge to to buy non-American for the sole reason that they are unionized manufacturers. See, if I do so, I am then putting money into the unions pockets.

Why don't I like unions? First I'll overlook that the unions nearly brought down the American auto industry single-handedly. Putting this crudely, but in the most accurate way I know possible, It's because they're assholes; nothing but self-interested assholes.

I mean, if a shop is unionized, a worker is forced to join them based on the idea that union collective bargaining benefits all workers. Let me tell you, it doesn't. The worker loses all latitude and freedom in being able to negotiate with his superiors because the unions do it. And if a worker tries, usually management will simply hold up the union contract, point to it, and say, "It says here you get no more."

When I was in a union shop, and also in the union, the quality of my work advanced me to a position and salary where I could not advance any further. A call to the union for a promotion and raise got me nowhere. They told me they were, at that time, in negotiations with my employer for the whole of the workforce and couldn't take on the interests of a single individual. Great. Welcome to Communism.

What did I do? I dashed off a letter to the head of my company explaining my problem. And you know, he gave me a raise. He increased my salary not because of the union, but because he knew I was a dedicated employee and was good at my job. He wanted me to be happy so I would continue to produce the high-quality things which made me proud on a personal level. He did the right thing on his own, because I did the right thing on my own.

Union workers are lazy. Maybe not so much lazy at their jobs (although I've known many, many who were), but they're lazy in dealing with their own self-interest. It's bad to allow someone else to negotiate for you if you are a good employee; you'll never get what you're worth that way. But unionized employees don't seem to want to be bothered with doing their own negotiations, instead paying others - the unions - to do it for them.

There is no more expensive option available to a worker than to "hire" someone else to toot your horn for you. You also lose all your freedom in the workplace, opting for not just one boss in the form of the company, but then union also tells you what to do. Jesus, all I want to do is go to work, do my job as best I can, collect my pay. Drink beer.

So back to cars. I'm not going to support the unions. I'm buying a car from a non-union shop. VW looks pretty good to me right now. They treat their workers right, the workers are happy. And together, the workers and the company make one hell of a product.

As it should be.


United Auto Workers Sets a Strategy on Foreign Car Plants - WSJ.com:

"Mr. King said he will tap the union's strike fund of more than $800 million for the push, calling it the best way to protect his current membership. 'We have, in many ways, pretty deep pockets in terms of what we're willing to spend,' said Mr. King, adding that the union already approved spending $60 million on organizing at its convention in June. 'We have really unlimited resources to devote to this. It's unlike anything that's been seen in the UAW in many, many years.'