NBC's Gregory repeatedly asked GM CEO about cutting union benefits and jobs, but not fuel-efficient

[Omaha Steve]

http://mediamatters.org/items/200904050004?f=h_latest

Sun, Apr 5, 2009 2:15pm ET

Summary: On Meet the Press, David Gregory repeatedly asked General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson about cutting union benefits or jobs, but did not ask Henderson a single question about creating fuel efficient or environmentally friendly cars.



During an April 5 interview with General Motors CEO Fritz Henderson, Meet the Press host David Gregory repeatedly asked Henderson about cutting union benefits or jobs, but did not ask Henderson a single question about creating fuel-efficient or environmentally friendly cars. Among the questions Gregory asked Henderson was the following: "The legacy costs, meaning all of the costs associated with union employees, part of the United Auto Workers, is just a huge issue for General Motors. The government report indicates that in order to pay those retired auto workers, GM has to produce an extra 900,000 cars every year. What is the message to the union now? Doesn't it have to be 'those days are over'?"

From the April 5 edition of NBC's Meet the Press:

GREGORY: The legacy costs, meaning all of the costs associated with union employees, part of the United Auto Workers, is just a huge issue for General Motors. The government report indicates that in order to pay those retired auto workers, GM has to produce an extra 900,000 cars every year. What is the message to the union now? Doesn't it have to be "those days are over"?

<...>

GREGORY: Well, let's talk about how you can do more. How many union jobs are there in a typical factory for General Motors that have nothing to do with producing an automobile?

FULL story at link.

[sarcasmo]

1. Is there any doubt what the Bankruptcy is all about? Good bye UAW.

It is a sad time for the middle class.

[Thrill]

2. This is expected from David Gregory. He's Rove's butt boy

[Myrina]

3. Did he ask the new CEO what HIS compensation package is?

... and why it should be more than minimum wage? :shrug:

[dsc]

5. He did

Apparently Wagoner was working for a dollar and he asked why this one wasn't. He currently makes a million 3.

[Myrina]

7. Grrr ...

Time for another round of emails to the critters ...

[madrchsod]

4. gregory did`t care that gm had fuel efficient cars and trucks

it was a hit piece on the unions...

by the way gm has as many fuel efficient vehicles as any vehicle assembler in the world...but that would`t make good television

[madokie]

6. David Gregory is such a tool

I'm blown away when I think that at one time I kind of liked him. I guess it was the picture of him dancing with the rover that woke me up to where his allegiance lies. I thank those who can watch and then let us know what is being said on the sunday morning asswipe shows but I can't make myself do it.

[daleo]

8. Pensions are the last big pool of capital

Capitalists badly want to loot those. It will buy them an extra five years of high living.

[MasonJar]

9. Gregory is a loser. Why they chose him is easy to understand...he

is a media puppet for big business.

[LiberalFighter]

10. The question should be how many jobs in management have nothing to do with producing

an automobile?

How many supervisors do they have that just walk around all day doing just about nothing?

How many jobs did they outsource that would be more cost effective performed in the plant?

How many job operations did they create that were not efficient? Or how many jobs have they created that were overloaded. Resulting in production stopped and causing thousands of dollars in lost production?

How many times have they not schedule preventative maintenance and something breaks causing lost production?



How many hours does Gregory put in a week of productive work? It can't be much.