The Big Three will be just fine, assuming three things happen:
1. The new Senate comes in, hopefully giving enough votes to pass any real loan to the Big Three.
2. The UAW at least lowers their salary a bit this next year. With the current deal, the total cost per hour will fall from $71 to $59 (which is better but still off of Toyota by $10 per hour). And if UAW workers take buyouts, the Big Three can get new union labor for $52 per hour, also a far cry from the $71 that was made this past year. Eventually, the entire union should be around that $49 mark either in 2010 or 2011.
3. They are able to get rid of their old equipment (and when I say equipment, I mean equipment). My uncle, who is one of the top people at GM, says that the big problem GM is having is trying to equip their factories with better equipment and sell off the old stuff.
