Posted by Tina
An article in National Review, Factory-sized Deception, by Stephen Spruiell offers more than the revelation that the Obama campaign is engaging in obvious fabrications (LIES) to fool voters and pander to Union workers and anti-NAFTA voters. It demonstrates the difference between the gimmie mindset and the can-do mindset. First well take a look at the ad:
In the days leading up to the March 4 Ohio primary, Barack Obamas presidential campaign aired a TV ad that featured a man named Steven Schuyler standing in front of a Delphi Packard Electric plant in Warren, Ohio. In the ad, Schuyler says he worked for Delphi, an automotive supplier, for 13 years until NAFTA enabled the company to ship his job to Mexico. Barack Obama was against NAFTA, Schuyler says, adding, We need a president that will bring work into this country.
To the average citizen this ad might provoke a negative response toward corporations, NAFTA and republicans without providing a single bit of substantial or truthful informationheres why:
It was part of General Motors until it was spun off as an independent supplier in 1999. Second, foreign competition did not drive the company to eliminate American jobs. It declared bankruptcy in 2005 because the legacy labor costs it inherited from GM made it impossible to compete against other U.S.-based suppliers. Third, workers at the Warren, Ohio plant were offered generous buyouts and early-retirement packages.
It was unworkable, over the top union contracts that made it impossible for this company to compete in America with other American companies. Given that situation what does a company do? The ad says it moved to Mexico and impies it scre*ed the workers…but, the company did not move to Mexico and workers were NOT tossed into the street…kicked to the curb…treated without compassion or care by the big nasty corporation. No, those who chose to leave were given generous severance packages. How much is “generous”? How about one hundred forty thousand bucks! Not peanuts by any standard, this money is certainly a sizable nest egg for transition into a new job or professiondepending on behavior.
All but 700 of the plants 3,800 employees took buyout offers or early-retirement packages. Those who stayed on accepted a new labor contract that brought wages and benefits closer to the prevailing rates in the supply business.
I cannot report what Mr. Spruiell did with his money, and yes, according to a co-worker, he chose to take the money. I can tell you what another worker did with hers:
In April 2007, the Youngstown Vindicator ran a story about a former Delphi employee named Karole Kowalski who took a $140,000 buyout and invested it in an associates degree at Youngstown State University. Shes excited about her plan, according to the report, and is hopeful the cutbacks at Packard were the best thing that could have happened to her. She couldnt work as a laborer any more because of her back, and the buyout has given her the chance to retrain.
After making this ad Im sure Mr. Schuyler prefers to remain in hiding. KUDOS to the can-do American Karole Kowalski!
Please read the article in National Review, it offers an alternative perspective, uncovering erroneous claims made about NAFTAs effects on jobs in America and explains the truthful reason that Delphi eventually declared bankruptcy.