A harsh cure for the UAW

Re “The Big Three’s real union problem,” Opinion, Dec. 6

The Big Three have a lot of problems to overcome before they can return to profitability -- not the least of which is the United Auto Workers.

For decades, U.S. automakers, terrified by strike threats, knuckled under to the UAW until autoworker wages and benefits far exceeded those of workers in similar unskilled and semi-skilled jobs elsewhere in American industry. Now, facing extinction, one of the keys to survival for the Big Three is to readjust UAW wages and benefits sharply downward to realistic levels.

Jonathan Cutler, however, advocates putting the heat on Honda, Toyota and Nissan to offer the same lofty wages and benefits as their unionized American counterparts, apparently believing that the Japanese competitive advantage would then disappear. His solution is really dandy -- if car buyers don’t mind paying a couple of thousand more for their Honda Accord.

Cutler seems to believe that it’s better for everyone to be sick rather than to subject several hundred thousand UAW workers to a harsh cure that ultimately may save some of their jobs.

I pray that Congress, with its hands on the bailout spigot, ignores this fallacy.

Jack Bailey

Studio City

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Cutler suggests that the answer to Detroit’s noncompetitive, high wage and benefit costs is to foist those costs on currently nonunionized U.S. auto manufacturers. He should know -- but either doesn’t or ignores it -- that the auto manufacturing economy is global and that raising costs throughout the U.S. will only result in the jobs going elsewhere.

The real answer to Detroit’s problems is to do away with the excesses of the UAW.

Bob Condon

Clyde Hill, Wash.