GM..... here it comes

[tpolock]

People in the automotive industry are facing no income because the unions have been able to get ridiculous demands for high wages.

The unions are at fault for their stupid demands of the 80's and 90's; the car companies are at fault for putting out horrendous products and for giving into union demands.

The good thing that will come out with this is an end to the greed.

It is very unfortunate that many innocent people are losing jobs, but the American car companies were running very inefficiently at labor costs that the market cannot bare.

I certainly have sympathy for the individuals who are going to have a rough road ahead of them due to cutbacks in the auto industry.

I have zero sympathy for the greedy union leaders who created this mess.

I agree with you a 100% that this is all the unions fault. Get all you can get while they could and now it is coming back to bite them.

I have seen it many times.

I work in the auto industry. We are a supplier to all the major auto companies (GM, Chrysler, Ford, Honda and Toyota) and many sub-suppliers. We have already lost over half our work force.

GM was by far the worst. It was almost like clock work. Every time the union got more money, GM would comeback to us suppliers demanding a price decrease. If we couldn't agree on one, they would just take it out of the money owed. GM always acted like the big bully on the block.

I had to make many trips to plants in Ohio and Michigan. They would have two workers on the line doing one person's job. One would work one hour and take a break while the other worked the next hour (guys were making $28 hour!!). At GM's YPSI plant, if the workers got their quoted out for the day, they would be able to go watch TV or take naps until their shift ended. That is not how the real world operates.

It was crazy. I had been seeing this coming for years.

 

[vicb]

Fingers crossed and good thoughts for all those hardworking people who are concerned for their futures.
As for aggression--the ones I'm really mad at are the CEOs with fat bonuses and walking away from failing companies with millions.

I couldn't agree with you more! My DH is a non-union salaried worker, he does not have any pension, that ended before he began working for GM. I too have mixed feelings about the UAW situation and I have strong feelings about buying american from the big 3 (always have, long before DH went to work in the auto industry) HOWEVER....

I guess my point is I don't think any of the middle class workers are to blame, union or salaried. Nobody in the big office has ever asked my DH for his thoughts on union contracts, pensions or benefits! I don't know if a UAW job on the factory line is "cushy"... I tend to doubt it is. My DH works long hours for GM and is on call all the time for problems (he is I.T.) It will be devastating for another 20-25,000 people to be out of work next week no matter what your political views of the situation are.

The trickle down effect is painful, this will not just effect UAW line workers, salaried workers and retirees... it effects the minimun wage workers at fast food restaurants in the GM RenCen and at all strip malls across from the factories about to be closed, it effects the local diners, small shops, gas stations, dry cleaners, your local Target, JcPenney and so on. All the dealerships closing effects the lawn service guys who have contracts to plow in the winter and cut grass in the summer, it effects the local little league baseball teams who won't have a sponser and all the other local charitable causes that dealerships have long supported quietly. I could go on and on.

It is a sad situation all around, I appreciate the good thoughts from my fellow Dis'ers, I wasn't trying to start the blame game, the desire for that has long since past.

 

[speedyf]

...(deleted)

 

[summerrluvv]

Sending lots of prayers!! My entire family is in MI and several of them work for GM also

 

[squirrlygirl]

I try to stay away from these... it breaks my heart when people feel the need to bash on a thread meant for support. On the other hand, I guess it makes it easier to appreciate people with hearts and tact.

We're a salaried GM family. DH's benefits and pay have been stripped to the core. There's more cuts coming, and it's getting tough to say "at least he has a job", but that's what we do. We know we could leave the state and he could find something better off, but our family is here so we will tough it out and hope we make it through to the other side.

When Monday comes, I'll probably cry. I've never even set foot on a Toyota lot. Heck, I stopped at Ford once because I was curious and felt like a traitor I'm scared to see what the future holds. But for my family and everyone else going through this,

 

[disneygirl1024]

I feel for everyone and their families during this difficult time. I know, my husband lost his job with the whole DHL/UPS deal. We are making it day by day thanks to unemployment. We didn't have much to begin with as far as retirement and pension. He did get a severence but it only last for 3 months. Whoop de do. Hang in there. I will pray for you and your families. God has answered my prayers with watching over us cause everything I have asked for, He has answered. Keep saving for that trip and reward yourself. You definitely deserve it.

 

[lck33]

My thoughts and prayers are with all of you and all the families that this recession is effecting. Keep your faith!

 

[dvcfamily41801]

Your family will be in my thoughts.

 

[S. C.]

Our thoughts are with you. Praying every day that things turn around soon. DH is in the automotive field and Maryland has been hit pretty hard too as companies that manufacture for GM/Chrysler lay off or shut down too and cars stack up on the lots down by the port.

I've heard people smugly talk about the greed of the UAW and big automaker stereotypes suffering without realizing that the trickle down effect will eventually affect everyone - no matter where you live or what you do - as those auto industry jobs (and the jobs of so many millions more people who work for countless unrelated companies where those workers spent their paychecks) supported real people with families.

I can only hope that, as our perfectly good *by today's standards* vehicles fail the heightened emissions and other requirements being pushed down our throats within the next 7 years have to be removed from the road, I'll still be able to buy American when forced to spead our wealth in order to replace our truck & mini van. Gosh, I hate the new little gas efficient imported clown cars...

Well said!

We tried to help.

We bought a brand-new GM car at the end of the year.

My thoughts go to you and yours during this time.

I bought one on March 31st!

(Well, considering what I paid for it I think I stole it, but....)

Thank you both!

This may be misplaced aggression towards someone i know, but I dont really have a ton of sympathy here..My uncle retired recently and proceeded to take 3 hawaii trips, do a HUGE add on to a home he JUST bought..and now he's complaining about gm cutting back his health care and retirement, etc..people who are retired just dont spend their money in the way he did. So, i do feel some sympathy, but not a ton. I know what i make an hour for the amount of work i do, and in all honesty, I WISH TO GOD i couldve had such a cush job as many of you..

You can't compare hundreds of thousands of families to what your uncle did.

Believe me they are not all cush jobs.

People in the automotive industry are facing no income because the unions have been able to get ridiculous demands for high wages.

The unions are at fault for their stupid demands of the 80's and 90's; the car companies are at fault for putting out horrendous products and for giving into union demands.

The good thing that will come out with this is an end to the greed.

It is very unfortunate that many innocent people are losing jobs, but the American car companies were running very inefficiently at labor costs that the market cannot bare.

I certainly have sympathy for the individuals who are going to have a rough road ahead of them due to cutbacks in the auto industry.

I have zero sympathy for the greedy union leaders who created this mess.

Must be the unions fault for the banks, mortgage crisis, and world economy taking a dump too!

I try to stay away from these... it breaks my heart when people feel the need to bash on a thread meant for support. On the other hand, I guess it makes it easier to appreciate people with hearts and tact.

We're a salaried GM family. DH's benefits and pay have been stripped to the core. There's more cuts coming, and it's getting tough to say "at least he has a job", but that's what we do. We know we could leave the state and he could find something better off, but our family is here so we will tough it out and hope we make it through to the other side.

When Monday comes, I'll probably cry. I've never even set foot on a Toyota lot. Heck, I stopped at Ford once because I was curious and felt like a traitor I'm scared to see what the future holds. But for my family and everyone else going through this,

I feel for everyone and their families during this difficult time. I know, my husband lost his job with the whole DHL/UPS deal. We are making it day by day thanks to unemployment. We didn't have much to begin with as far as retirement and pension. He did get a severence but it only last for 3 months. Whoop de do. Hang in there. I will pray for you and your families. God has answered my prayers with watching over us cause everything I have asked for, He has answered. Keep saving for that trip and reward yourself. You definitely deserve it.

 

[princesslily]

My prayers are with you and your family. I live in NW Ohio and can feel your pain. My husband sells Chrysler's and we are thankful that he dealer has made the cut, however, since that aren't building any cars he isn't selling them. I wish the dealer that he had made a ton of money for all these years was helping, but I guess he's a little greedy. My husband has been the number one for the last 12 years and had never recieved a bonus yet. Keep on praying because GM is way bigger than Chrysler.

 

[EvanMaddieMouse]

Hello, my fellow Michiganders . DH took the American Axle buyout last summer, went back to school for further certification as a robotics maintenance/repair guy, and has found nothing. Nothing. So he is going to start working towards a degree in Radiology next month. Medical is really the only field you are relatively secure in anymore. I'm a nurse, I went from one day a week and being home with the kids to working 4-5 days a week, with several 12 hour shifts as well. The bills are getting paid, but this wasn't in our plan when we had DD. But as I tell the kids, you have to do what you have to do when times get tough. Yes, the house is messy and I miss the hell out of my kids, and all I want is for DH to be working again so I can have my mommy time back, but I truly don't see an end in sight, especially here in Michigan. It's bad, very bad.

 

[vicb]

Thanks for all the words of support and well wishes. Just wanted to say that nothing happened so far this week in terms of my DH and job cuts. They have been told another 3 - 4,000 salaried cuts "are coming" but no timeline. So I guess we wait.... it has really been like this since last Nov. Nothing we can do about it.

I'll continue to "shadow plan" our Feb trip and not book anything for a while longer.

Regardless of how you feel about GM and the bailout, please continue to be supportive and respectful to folks losing their jobs in this situation. As well as all those who have lost their jobs outside of the auto industry due to our ecomonic crisis.

Thanks fellow Dis'ers!