GM to lay off 30,000 people

[kdibattista]

Closing 9 plants

http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,176199,00.html

 

[Credit Man]

Yikes!!!

 

[ducklite]

That's terrible. That's so many jobs. Manufacturing type jobs are getting scarcer and scarcer in the US as so many companies are outsourcing to Asia.

Anne

 

[boomhauer]

It's a crying shame.

Unfortunately, as someone who's owned 4 American cars, and now has a Japanese - It doesn't surprise me.

 

[chrissyk]

While I'm certainly sorry for the people losing their jobs, what exactly did people think that GM was going to do They are being choked to death by benefit costs for present and past employees.

I think that the days of big definied-benefit healthcare plans are coming to an end, as evidenced by GM's plight. We're about to see BIG changes to high-deductable insurance and HSA's across the board, and I'm not sure that that's a bad thing. GM is not the only company forced to cut so many jobs because of benefit costs, but they are the biggest and most visible.

 

[pixiemomma]

What plants are closing?

 

[kydisneyfans]

GM has the plant closing list on their website.

1 in Canada, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan are ones that I can remember.

I feel for those who are losing their jobs-it would have been nice to announce this information after the holidays.

Toyota is no doubt taking market share due to a superior product. Luckily they are strong as they employ over 7,000 in my town of 18,000.

 

[Bob Slydell]

What plants are closing?

Per Yahoo...

GM said the assembly plants that will close are in Oklahoma City, Lansing, Mich., Spring Hill, Tenn., Doraville, Ga., and Ontario, Canada.

An engine facility in Flint, Mich., will close, along with a separate powertrain facility in Ontario and metal centers in Lansing and Pittsburgh.

Wagoner said GM also will close three service and parts operations facilities. They are in Ypsilanti, Mich., and Portland, Ore., and one unidentified site. A shift also will be removed at a plant in Moraine, Ohio.

 

[ducklite]

Spring Hill? Wouldn't that be the Saturn plant? Are they going to move all operations to Delaware? We have noticed Saturn becoming more and more aligned with GM in some ways over the past year--maybe that's why...

Anne

 

[CarolA]

Just checked the Nashville Newspaper site.

Saturn is closing. That's a blow to the area.. Guess it's good I sold my house last year!

 

[mom2boys]

I feel for all those losing their jobs - especially at this time of year.

 

[ducklite]

Just checked the Nashville Newspaper site.

Saturn is closing. That's a blow to the area.. Guess it's good I sold my house last year!

That's terrible--they had really been a blessing to that area. I'm surprised they are closing that plant and not the DE one--as Spring Hill was their headquarters.

Anne

 

[4greatboys]

The mom of my oldest sons best friend just got laid off by GM here in Houston. She worked in Customer Service.

 

[mickeysgal]

While I'm certainly sorry for the people losing their jobs, what exactly did people think that GM was going to do They are being choked to death by benefit costs for present and past employees.

I think that the days of big definied-benefit healthcare plans are coming to an end, as evidenced by GM's plight. We're about to see BIG changes to high-deductable insurance and HSA's across the board, and I'm not sure that that's a bad thing. GM is not the only company forced to cut so many jobs because of benefit costs, but they are the biggest and most visible.

I have to agree - health care costs and competition from Asia are driving so many companies downward. My heart goes out to those families that will be affected. U.S. manufacturing seems to be quickly becoming a thing of the past. How sad.

The thing is, it not only affects the workers that are laid off...it affects entire towns and businesses that relied on the presence of these plants in their towns. Real estate in these towns are affected, local restaurants, mom-and-pop type stores, etc. As the disposable income of these familes are affected, there is a trickle-down effect to so much more of the general population around these plants. So even if you don't work for GM but live in one of these towns, its going to affect them in some way.

Something has to change - but I'm not sure what.

 

[rockin_rep]

The thing is, it not only affects the workers that are laid off...it affects entire towns and businesses that relied on the presence of these plants in their towns. Real estate in these towns are affected, local restaurants, mom-and-pop type stores, etc. As the disposable income of these familes are affected, there is a trickle-down effect to so much more of the general population around these plants. So even if you don't work for GM but live in one of these towns, its going to affect them in some way.

Something has to change - but I'm not sure what.

You're so right mickeysgal, it will indeed affect EVERYONE, regardless if you have a plant in town or not.

What has to change? More people need to BUY AMERICAN. Too many are buying foreign cars. Back in the day american cars were not as good. But for quite awhile now they have been rated as good, if not better.

But even if they were NOT better, think of the big picture ~we live in America. These buying trends are happening across the board in all kinds of consumer goods; whatever seems cheaper is what people buy, without thinking of the big picture, the long term consequences. There are cut-backs being made in every industry. Makes one wonder where it will all end.....

 

[SC Minnie]

Our company annouced last month it is closing a Canadian mill in the division I work in-- over 300 people will be out of work. They were going to close a mill and this one was chosen over another because of the inflexibility of the union and the govt there. This mill is in an area that has very little industry. I don't know what those people are going to do. Ther is also rumors that more closures are coming next year. I hate to see people lose their jobs.

 

[mickman1962]

You're so right mickeysgal, it will indeed affect EVERYONE, regardless if you have a plant in town or not.

What has to change? More people need to BUY AMERICAN. Too many are buying foreign cars. Back in the day american cars were not as good. But for quite awhile now they have been rated as good, if not better.

But even if they were NOT better, think of the big picture ~we live in America. These buying trends are happening across the board in all kinds of consumer goods; whatever seems cheaper is what people buy, without thinking of the big picture, the long term consequences. There are cut-backs being made in every industry. Makes one wonder where it will all end.....

both of my AMERICAN cars (Fords) are made in Canada. We can not buy AMERICAN (cars or otherwise) as we do not make a whole lot of goods in the US anymore.

 

[chrissyk]

You're so right mickeysgal, it will indeed affect EVERYONE, regardless if you have a plant in town or not.

What has to change? More people need to BUY AMERICAN. Too many are buying foreign cars. Back in the day american cars were not as good. But for quite awhile now they have been rated as good, if not better.

But even if they were NOT better, think of the big picture ~we live in America. These buying trends are happening across the board in all kinds of consumer goods; whatever seems cheaper is what people buy, without thinking of the big picture, the long term consequences. There are cut-backs being made in every industry. Makes one wonder where it will all end.....

The tough thing is that "buying American" isn't as transparant as buying a GM vs. a Toyota anymore. Toyotas are made here, parts for "American" cars are made overseas...IMHO the ability to buy strictly American went the way of the wind with the global economy.

What has to change (again, IMHO) are company-sponsored healthcare plans and the entitlement mentality that some employees and retirees have regarding this "benefit". Not much can be done about the retirees I guess, but present employees have to start being responsible for a large portion of their own benefit costs. Otherwise, businesses will get choked out of existance by their own benefit costs. I think that the HSA plan that the govt. has come up with might end up being an excellent solution. In 10 years, I think that everyone will have this rather that then traditional defined-benefit type plan that is sinking GM and other companies.

 

[mickman1962]

I may be wrong on this but I think I read that the major sticking point was health care issues. The GM employees wouldn't budge so now they lose their jobs. My health care cost have gone up over 300% in the last 5 years (and I work for a MAJOR US corporation). Our school districts budget increase for the last 5 years have been soley for teacher's benefits (they still pay nothing). I think Americans need to wake to the fact that free (company paid) health care is a thing of the past.

 

[MICKEY88]

the main problem is Health Care costs in General. if they weren't so outrageous companies could afford to pay the insurance for their employees..