Actually it was both management and unions. It was also government. GM management did make many bad decisions including holding onto large car models too long. But when they tried to change, Unions fought them tooth and nail to prevent automatizing processes, get labor costs in line with reality, closing unproductive plants, extending hours and so forth. Right to Work States and offshore production then destroyed it as it stagnated reacting far too slowly to changing environments. I'm from Michigan and a Michigan MBA, the car companies recruited me heavily. I went to NY to work in management consulting instead.unions did not kill GM, GM management killed GM by not producing the products that consumers demand, the union workers had nothing at all to do with that....lousy GM management did....the non union bosses at the top made the bad decisions.
and as I have also said, GM management agreed to the benefits, while in negotiations....this is GM'S FAULT, not the unions for asking.
the corporations can say NO.....they didn't, they agreed to the pension packages etc, when they were in their hay day I presume....regardless, there would be no pension plan problem IF GM HAD produced what the customers wanted.....their sales DROPPED and their pensions became a burden for them BECAUSE of bad management decisions.....
the unions do not have MORE power than the corporation and union negotiations....it is an equally shared position. Gm had no foresight on where their products should be going....and this is their downfall....
if they had produced what customers wanted, there would be no problem...
As the saying goes...."Sales... heals all wounds"....they didn't have the sales, because they did not create and produce, what the customers wanted. Period. the buck stops there...imho.
I agreed with you that GM made bad decisions. You're obviously not aware though that unions not only fought automation and plant closures but they fought GM closing existing car lines and changing to lines customers wanted because they saw it as an end around to get automation and plant closures. It was, but those were necessary for survival.
When I say I blamed both, by that I meant I blamed both. By your only blaming management, you're going down the naive, workers paradise lie that destroyed Michigan and crippled Ohio to this day. To thrive, we need economic efficiency. Unions are inefficient and destroy the industries they are in. That is a factor, but there are others. And to your point yes, GM made many bad decisions. But again to say it was just management is naive.