Bolling: A Letter to Detroit

UAW

Mr Gettelfinger, you, sir, should be ashamed of yourself. I spend most of the day on TV talking about the demise of the U.S. auto industry. I am bombarded with emails and calls from Americans who are disgusted with the industry's situation. Most don't want to bail your business out with taxpayer money, but all want to know where ground zero is. I can only blame you, sir. Your union is the reason why the cost-per-vehicle for Detroit's Big Three is significantly higher than that of foreign companies (BMW, for example) building cars here with American workers. Your "legacy" costs burden Ford, GM and Chrysler so much that the following is true, according to S&P.

Profits per Employee

• Audi: $56,471 profit
• Toyota(TM): $38,645 profit
• Honda Motor(HMC): $29,840 profit
• BMW: $29,810 profit
• Nissan(NSANY): $22,555 profit
• Ford: ($46,841) loss
• GM: (90,444) loss

It is your union, Mr. Gettelfinger, that negotiated absurd items like job banks, where idled workers play crossword puzzles and video games while receiving up to 95% of their pay and benefits. It was you, sir, who refused to grant the wish of every American watching your Capitol Hill testimony: a complete rewriting of your contracts with our auto industry.

I have the utmost compassion for the employees of Detroit's Big Three. I hate to see anyone out of work. It pains me to recommend that your group not get bailed out, because there will be job cuts.

But I will make this promise: I promise to purchase a vehicle from each of the Big Three carmakers that undergoes a reorganization under Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection.

I hope to buy a vehicle from a reorganized U.S. automaker, one that is devoid of the shackles your union has put on Detroit. My view is that, contrary to the pleas you have been making to the American people, we will, in fact, buy your cars, SUV's and pickups even if you are being restructured in bankruptcy.

The public outpouring of "Buy American" will never be stronger. I will be a foot soldier in the battle. I will tell everyone to buy American cars and trucks from a reorganized U.S. auto industry. Not from bailed-out, unionized Detroit.

Know What You Own: Bolling mentions Ford and GM. Other companies in the broad auto sector include AutoNation(AN) and Tata Motors(TTM).

>To order reprints of this article, click here: Reprints