As I watch the nightly news, with my mother and father, and watch for updates on GM’s bankruptcy, I get very angry. My mother, a GM/UAW retiree of thirty years, and my father, a GM/UAW retiree of 43 years have already been told that they are losing their dental, vision, and some prescription coverage effective immediately. They are worried that they will lose the rest of the healthcare benefits as well as their pensions. It’s very sad and disheartening, knowing that tens of thousands more are in the same boat, and many more will be on the way.
How could the world’s largest corporation end up in this situation? How could any of the automakers be hurting? And if the employees that are lucky enough to still be employed lose their employer-based healthcare, does that mean they will still like their employer-based insurance?
It all boils down to healthcare. The big three automakers have lobbyists in Ottawa, Ontario Canada, that push for the Canadian government to keep their Universal Healthcare system. Why? It’s quite cheaper to build in Canada, because they do not have to worry about healthcare insurance. So why wouldn’t GM, Ford, and Chrysler push for guaranteed universal healthcare here? It would make sense that with so much power, they could put some pressure on Washington to fix healthcare. Instead they slash healthcare, as the costs go up.
To think that GM is now going to fund their healthcare retiree’s healthcare with a VEBA is preposterous. They are going to fund the VEBA with some money, and with stock – worthless stock. Thank goodness my dad goes on Medicare this September. Too bad my mom has another ten years to go.