Steve Miller on the Record

Delphi's Steve Miller ain't talkin 'bout the Pompitous of Love

Delphi's CEO Steve Miller wrote an open letter published in Businessweek. Below is a clip:

Globalization is a fact of life these days. We no longer exist in a national economy, but a global economy. This is a good thing, in that it brings rising standards of living not only to Americans, but to all the world's citizens.

But what has been brought into sharp relief is the differing value the global market places on knowledge workers versus basic manufacturing workers. I was struck by what I saw when I visited our Delphi operations in Mexico last week. Our average hourly worker makes about $7,000 a year, while the average salaried worker makes about $35,000 a year. A spread of five times! The same spread, or wider, exists in all low-cost countries.

The implications for America are enormous, and it boils down to this. If you want your kids to enjoy the great American dream, get them a good education. The days when manual unskilled labor can deliver $65 an hour are disappearing.

Allow me to be the first UAW-LSP lawyer to volunteer to work for five times the $10.00 per hour that Delphi proposed to the UAW. It would be a severe hardship, but I think I could get by on it.


Steve Miller on the Record