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The Detroit News reports that the UAW has put its infamous Black Lake retreat on the market, as the “symbol of the union’s success” has become a financial liability. The money-losing retreat and golf resort became a symbol of UAW profligacy during last year’s lead-up to the auto industry bailout. Even within the union, the club had become seen as a white elephant, sucking down an estimated $23m over the last five years, while being kept alive on interest from the union’s strike fund. All during a period in which UAW membership has declined and the union has been forced into concessions. With the UAW’s financial solvency dependent on GM and Chrysler IPOs, perks like Black Lake had to go. The UAW has not yet publicized an asking price.
18 Comments on “UAW Puts Black Lake Retreat Up For Sale...”
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Gives added meaning to Obama’s favorite new phrase: “fat cats”. I’d like to see an accounting of the use of union dues – administrative costs, salaries, retreat centers, donations to the DNC, etc.
And the union jobs keep drying up.
There’s no need for a retreat if you can no longer stage a strike at GM and Chrysler!
Absolutely ludicrous that even one penny from union dues, or interest earned on the dues was spent on this. Frankly, I think all unions should be abolished. People should be overjoyed to have a job. But if you have a union job, and are forced into paying dues whether you want to or not, that money should be kept in trust for union-related issues, not green fees. Don’t know if there are any non-union automakers out there, but if there are, my bet is that they are profitable.
“Frankly, I think all unions should be abolished. People should be overjoyed to have a job.” Careful what you wish for, friend. How are the Chinese lessons coming along?
“Don’t know if there are any non-union automakers out there...” Uhhh, yes there are. They are mostly all suffering, except Hyundai.
I’m no union fan, but to blame the D3’s woes solely on the UAW seems silly.
It looks like a nice place, my neighbor has gone a number of times, he is retired UAW. I imagine Reuther’s vision of what the place was going to be over the years, and how the UAW didn’t anticipate the labor change that was coming. And I don’t mean robots. I wonder if the UAW and the Big 3 had acted differently if things would be different now. But it is human nature I guess to take things for granted until they are gone. That place is 1,000 acres, would make a great resort.
Both the Detroit News article you refer to and the article below, states that the facility lost 23 million dollars in the past FIVE (5) years. Can you clarify where the 20 million loss came from?
http://wot.motortrend.com/6293732/miscellaneous/report-uaws-black-lake-golf-course-takes-23-million-loss-over-past-five-years/index.html
If I’m not mistaken, the UAW obtained the Black Golf Course when it’s previous owners defaulted on the UAW financed loan. Yes, they should have sold it as soon as they could recoup their money. The Golf Course rubs a lot of UAW members the wrong way also, but it is spectacularly gorgeous …….. The Walter & May Reuther UAW Family Education Center’s land was purchased 1966.
http://www.local387.org/black_lake_history.htm
http://www.blacklakegolf.com/
My bad… fingers moving faster than the brain. Text amended.
I’m just glad to know that while my tax money goes to prop up two dead automakers, to save thousands of UAW jobs for people that are completely ungrateful and still make more money than I do working 55 hours a week, that they own a nice golf course. Unbelievable.
+1 Superbadd, you said it.
I was there once. Nice place. Very environmentally conscious.
I just don’t understand why the UAW would have a retreat. Any other unions have this? I know that some companies have purchased golf courses, and many sold them in the lastest economic times, which probably means they shouldn’t have been bought in the first place. But why should a union own a retreat?
The UAW,like anybody connected to the domestic auto industry, has had to make some changes. Union workers,salary employees, dealers, everybody had to adapt to the new reality.
So the UAW has to sell a toy to make ends meet? I guess none of the B&B have ever had to do such a thing eh? Seeing has how the UAW isn’t publicly owned, it really isn’t anybodies else’s buisness is it?
Seeing has how the UAW isn’t publicly owned, it really isn’t anybodies else’s buisness is it?
Seeing as how 2 of the D3 are now wards of the state, it actually is everybody else’s business now. For all intents and purposes, GM and ChryCo are government entities and the UAW membership for these two are federal employees. I’m wondering how much the UAW HQ building can go for; I’m sure there’s an old Packard factory somewhere in Detroit they can meet in.
“Let me pull out my small violin that can only play sad songs”
-Uncle Ruckus
@morbo…….Go back and read pgcooldad,s comment at 11:55 am. I know that union bashing is very entertaining, but before you shoot off,a few facts woudn’t hurt,would it?
Mikey is right. Black Lake is nobody’s business except the UAW. It is financed by UAW money, and member dues come out of their paychecks. GM wouldn’t be a dime better off even if union dues were zero. This isn’t to say that owning and operating a resort was or is a good idea for a labor union. Almost certainly not–but all organizations get to indulging themselves when times are good. My ire at taxpayer-subsidized GM and Chrysler is that I’m sure management is still indulging in all sorts of egregious perks.
A friend of my wife back in high school went to work for GM (Oldsmobile) and she got in on some of the bennies. One of the most coveted was getting in on the company’s annual week-long junket for the Indy 500 — basically just one long, huge party. Did that sell any cars? I doubt it. Let me run GM (GMAC, Chrysler, etc.), and the top executives will no longer even have an executive washroom, let alone a private dining facility. Let ’em bring sack lunches from home until they can become self-supporting.
As a resident of the area and someone who has extensive knowledge about Black Lake let me set some things straight. The UAW’s Black Lake property was purchased in 1966 from a local who did very well in advertising named Lou Maxon. He used it as a buisiness retreat for his add agency. The Uaw then added lodging and education facilities.It was Walter Reuther’s vision that families would spend time there. He had this idea because he saw how fellow union leaders were often divorced and there work life was hard on family life.Calling it a luxury resort is misleading. It has beautiful architecture but rooms are very basic and guests are roomed double. Two strangers in each room.There were no TV’s in the rooms until the mid 1990s. You cannot park anywhere near your room and meals are cafeteria style. Golf is not included in anyones stay they must pay extra for this. The guests local unions are charged for thier stay. If guests do not attend classes for 8 hrs each day they are asked to leave. It is really a coference center not a resort. The rooms would get a AAA 2 star rating at best. The golf course was not repossesd from anyone it was built for the UAW in the late 1990’s with the idea that it would boost attendance at the center and draw non-members to the facility . Lessening the cost to UAW members. As a previous poster stated it is paid for with UAW members dues money,not auto bailout money. It is not owned by the D3. The UAW just happens to represent workers who work fo the D3
“paid for with UAW members dues money”
What a monumental waste of union dues money!
Civil rights and diversity training for the whole family,, lol…..Some real value added education there eh?
Maybe diet/nutrition education and mandatory gym time to burn off all those giant guts I watched in the promo video! lol
Nero fiddles while Rome burns…………
I’m not saying it is a good use of dues money. Just the fact that that is what it is “dues money” not tax dollars,not bailout money,not big three money. Its also not really posh or luxury. Its beautiful architecture built in a beautiful part of the state that doesn’t make it posh.