Disclosure: I work for GM. Anything here is solely my own opinion or understanding. (Repeating because this is more opinionated) The bankruptcies weren't cause

Disclosure: I work for GM. Anything here is solely my own opinion or understanding. (Repeating because this is more opinionated) The bankruptcies weren't caused by one thing, but cost of labor was a large factor. Perhaps a bigger factor was the pressure to keep producing non-competitive, money losing products so as to maintain employment numbers. Unions do a lot for their members, and they should, but they cannot save a bad product. In my opinion, over-financialization was the other top factor. You can read "Bean Counters vs Car Guys" by Bob Lutz for an explanation of this.