Automakers over here in Belgium are also "withdrawing their activity", a process that's been ongoing for years now.

And every factory that goes is like tearing out a community's heart.
Noy only losing that plant but also the subsidiary businesses which interconnected.

Just wanted to add a bit about Unions, since I'm active in one. I'm amazed Union workers seem to get a raise in salary just because they are Union?

Over here in Belgium, it is on a vulontary basis, with no attached benefits at all. You just campaign stressing things which you feel are important to defend, and if elected, become part of a comitee which can excercise a little more weight on the director and his board, but not by much to be honest. Every step forward being countered by a little step back.

And once you accept these bribes from the patrons, you become part of the system, and you lose the entire point of why a Union is needed.
You sold out.

Ask workers at Walmart what a strong Union could mean for them, where people are trying to organise themselves even faced with Corporate Strongarm tactics . They sure as heck didn't take any benefits from management, those people still know what it is all about.

And then you have the segments of society which do have a Union who are basically being sold by the big bosses of those old 'respectable' Unions, blatantly, so Unions alltogether get projected as moneygrubbing obscenitys from the past.

Imho Union workers should never accept any money or other benefit for doing what their ideals lead them to strive for. Humane, safe working conditions, humane payment, paid vacation etc. Getting bonusses only breaks away credibility. In fact, I never would have vulonteered for it if there whére promises of corporate sweeteners headed my way if I played by the old boys rules.

Is the car industry being in trouble, in part hastened by a lax, smug, corrupt form of Union? Ever noticed Unions which employ these practices are mainly the only ones the goverments ever sit down with?