awsure

I agree with that unions have (in 1st world economies) outlived their usefulness in most industries. They are not the main problem in my estimation though. Look at Ford...they have significant operations in Mexico which I am certain relieve them of many issues that unions rally behind. Foreign manufacturers have simply produced interesting, innovative, and well built cars and the Big Three react too slowly. I think that DCX is ahead of Ford & GM certainly. They are poised with a new & very marketable lineup of cars. They also are part of an engineering icon in Mercedes which helps position them in markets other than the U.S. My wife & I went to Europe earlier this year and we saw a lot of Audi, BMW, Mercedes, and the like...basically zero U.S. badges in these countries. I do realize that trade tariffs are not equal and the U.S. market is much more open than these foreign countries but in general there is very little attempt to pursue business outside the U.S. by our domestic automakers. My point is there are multiple significant issues including unions that make it hard for our U.S. companies.