United Auto Workers Union

[#1hockeymom]

Actually, I'm all for Chrysler vanishing. They were bailed out once before. Why should they be bailed out again?

Frankly, so am I... but I know if those jobs go my area is in HUGE trouble. We're already going under. We don't need more bleeding from an open wound.

 

[#1hockeymom]

Lee Iacocca asked for a "bail out", which was a loan. He paid that back in full, in less than half of the time that was required and Chrysler exceeded expectations after that, and continued to do well on his watch.

I agree.. I also cried when the Daimler sign went up on 75 in Auburn Hills to point to the Chrysler Tech Center.

 

[mikehn]

The unions can have whatever the heck they want. Just build me a car, at a competitive price, that goes from point a to point b without breaking down.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Not a nail in the coffin and it's going to happen. Unemployment will reach 10% and then it will be over and solid companies will be left standing.

Fact remains the American car companies make crappy cars. I would love to "buy American" but can't anymore due to quality issues.

As one who doesn't keep up with who buys out who and who merges with who, I was disgusted to learn...after I bought a Mazda...they they are part of Ford. Ford is last on my list to purchase a car from. Always have been on the bottom of my list since I always seemed to get stuck somewhere in the rain with car problems in my early driving years...always in a Ford.

 

[JARNJ3]

I have nothing to add here other than to say - this has been a very educational thread.

 

[S. C.]

I don't know about the American worker but up here they are paid in the mid to high 20's an hour. Over time, yes but still a hell of a lot of money. I would love to work on the truck line because it's pretty easy according to my neighbours. Again they tell me the hardest part of the job is boredom. I am not blaming the entire thing on the workers but they and the UAW/ CAW are also to blame, never once have I heard up here unions rolling back wages or even a freeze in the bad times, always more, more and more no matter what. The economy killed the truck line up here, could it have been saved maybe if the cost to build a truck wasn't cost prohibitive, who knows.

You are married to an auto worker so we should agree to disagree.

I am married to a retired auto worker. This is the first time i mentioned that btw.
Like I said not all auto workers have jobs as easy as your neighbor, they are either lucky or not telling the whole truth if they are on a truck assembly line.

You say you have never once heard of unions rolling back wages. Look into the new auto contracts. All new hires are to make $14 an hour with NO health care, pensions etc.

Wonder how much of a cut the CEO's are taking? Plus the CEO's get MILLIONS every year in bonuses.

 

[#1hockeymom]

As one who doesn't keep up with who buys out who and who merges with who, I was disgusted to learn...after I bought a Mazda...they they are part of Ford. Ford is last on my list to purchase a car from. Always have been on the bottom of my list since I always seemed to get stuck somewhere in the rain with car problems in my early driving years...always in a Ford.

So, you were just fine with your vehicle purchase until you found out Ford owns Mazda? I give up... I know I've shown the quality standards earlier in this thread. Because someone THINKS something is deemed unsatisfactory, they make it so.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I am married to a retired auto worker. This is the first time i mentioned that btw.
Like I said not all auto workers have jobs as easy as your neighbor, they are either lucky or not telling the whole truth if they are on a truck assembly line.

You say you have never once heard of unions rolling back wages. Look into the new auto contracts. All new hires are to make $14 an hour with NO health care, pensions etc.

Wonder how much of a cut the CEO's are taking? Plus the CEO's get MILLIONS every year in bonuses.

I honestly don't know what cuts the CEO's have made, if any. I Know just under the CEO's lost a ton of people due to forced retirements and white collar layoffs. Middle management, lots of cuts. Blue collar.. MOST of the cuts.

 

[S. C.]

As one who doesn't keep up with who buys out who and who merges with who, I was disgusted to learn...after I bought a Mazda...they they are part of Ford. Ford is last on my list to purchase a car from. Always have been on the bottom of my list since I always seemed to get stuck somewhere in the rain with car problems in my early driving years...always in a Ford.

Sorry for your bad experiences. But that was in years past, check out the quality of todays american built cars vs imports.

 

[S. C.]

I honestly don't know what cuts the CEO's have made, if any. I Know just under the CEO's lost a ton of people due to forced retirements and white collar layoffs. Middle management, lots of cuts. Blue collar.. MOST of the cuts.

I agree...all those cuts while the CEO's still make tons of money.

 

[DawnCt1]

As one who doesn't keep up with who buys out who and who merges with who, I was disgusted to learn...after I bought a Mazda...they they are part of Ford. Ford is last on my list to purchase a car from. Always have been on the bottom of my list since I always seemed to get stuck somewhere in the rain with car problems in my early driving years...always in a Ford.

We had two Mazda's (an RX 6 and a Millenium) before Ford owned them. I have a feeling that they would have been better cars if Ford was in the mix at the time we bought them.

 

[Pin Wizard]

Exactly! My brother had no skills, no education past high school. I think 41K is darn great money for a 19 year old. DH who is 11 years older than my brother wasn't making that kind of money 14 year ago and he had a college education and had been in the work force for 10 years. Now I give my brother credit, he has his assoc. degree now and has worked for Chrysler for 14 years. I'm sure he makes great money and may be worth what he makes, but that wasn't the case when he first started working there.

I see I need to quit the field I've been working in for years and work for Chrysler at 41K. Beats my salary!

 

[Pin Wizard]

Lee Iacocca asked for a "bail out", which was a loan. He paid that back in full, in less than half of the time that was required and Chrysler exceeded expectations after that, and continued to do well on his watch.

Thanks! Didn't know that part of it.

 

[scheddj]

I see I need to quit the field I've been working in for years and work for Chrysler at 41K. Beats my salary!

Too late! They don't pay that any more.

 

[connorlevismom]

This IS the year 2008. You are talking about 30 yrs ago.






Thank you for posting this. American Auto workers DO turn out wonderful QUALITY vehicles. People need to put the bad autos from YEARS PAST behind them and do there homework on what is out there now.

I have to jump in here and post my experience with this. One of my first cars was a Chysler Sebring. I had nothing but problems with it so I traded it in and got a Nissan Pathfinder in 2001. I loved that car more than anything. I never had one problem with that car, ever. But, I needed one with a 3rd row seat so I had to trade it in. In December of 2006, I bought a 2007 Ford Explorer. I hesitated because I had such problems with my other American car but wanted to give American cars another shot. Well, the car will be 2 years old in December and I have had nothing but issues with it. The navigation went out, I had to get the entire gear shift replaced because it decided it wanted to stop going into gear, I have had the brakes replaced and now it is going back to the shop because one of my running boards wont go up anymore. This car does not even have 36,000 miles on it yet!

So I have to disagree that the problems of american cars are in the past. They are not. They are very much in the present. The fact of the matter is this - if American car companies want to stay in business, they have to build cars that people want and build them well. People cannot be expected to "buy american" when what they are buying is subpar.

Kristine

 

[DawnCt1]

I have to jump in here and post my experience with this. One of my first cars was a Chysler Sebring. I had nothing but problems with it so I traded it in and got a Nissan Pathfinder in 2001. I loved that car more than anything. I never had one problem with that car, ever. But, I needed one with a 3rd row seat so I had to trade it in. In December of 2006, I bought a 2007 Ford Explorer. I hesitated because I had such problems with my other American car but wanted to give American cars another shot. Well, the car will be 2 years old in December and I have had nothing but issues with it. The navigation went out, I had to get the entire gear shift replaced because it decided it wanted to stop going into gear, I have had the brakes replaced and now it is going back to the shop because one of my running boards wont go up anymore. This car does not even have 36,000 miles on it yet!

So I have to disagree that the problems of american cars are in the past. They are not. They are very much in the present. The fact of the matter is this - if American car companies want to stay in business, they have to build cars that people want and build them well. People cannot be expected to "buy american" when what they are buying is subpar.

Kristine

Yikes! We have a new transmission in our current Explorer but we have !37K on it and a new trannie was considerably more affordable than a new car. We are going to need wheel bearings on one wheel, but still, we don't need another car. I can see why you may not be as confident in Ford as you should. I hope it gets better for you.

 

[mikehn]

I got nothing against union demands so long as they can build a car that freakin works.

 

[#1hockeymom]

I had 2006, 04, 02, 00 Explorers and never had a problem with any of them. A few cracked windshields, but I drive on the fwy way too much and have dirt roads in my area. I over miled each one of them. THey were all 4wd. Not saying your problems aren't real, as I have had cars I hated... just none of my explorers fit that category!

 

[connorlevismom]

Yikes! We have a new transmission in our current Explorer but we have !37K on it and a new trannie was considerably more affordable than a new car. We are going to need wheel bearings on one wheel, but still, we don't need another car. I can see why you may not be as confident in Ford as you should. I hope it gets better for you.

Yikes is exactly what I said too. With a few other "words" that went along with it.

I am someone that needs realiability and has no patience for things that don't work. And that does not mean just cars. I have been begging my DH to get a new car because I just cannot stand my Explorer but now, unfortunately, it is worth nothing because it is an SUV.

I am glad that you have had good luck though!

Kristine

 

[Csaks]

I am married to a retired auto worker. This is the first time i mentioned that btw.
Like I said not all auto workers have jobs as easy as your neighbor, they are either lucky or not telling the whole truth if they are on a truck assembly line.

You say you have never once heard of unions rolling back wages. Look into the new auto contracts. All new hires are to make $14 an hour with NO health care, pensions etc.

Wonder how much of a cut the CEO's are taking? Plus the CEO's get MILLIONS every year in bonuses.

It was kinda easy to figure it out with your location and knowledge of all this.
I'm just going by a bunch of guy's that come over to the house, talk shop and drink beer. There's a bar across from the plant and they come over down a bunch of beer and race back across. I realize it's only about a hundred out of a full shift but it makes you wonder how dedicated these people are towards their job. You hear all the stories and it makes the blood boil.
The bonus thing for all CEO's really bugs me. I thought bonuses were given out for making a company better not the same or worse???? Reading how all these guys and gals run a company badly and still get huge bonuses every year is mind blowing. If a company is turned around from the brink, fine have a bonus otherwise take your normal salary and be happy you have a job.

I give up... I know I've shown the quality standards earlier in this thread.

You showed quality standards earlier, were they initial or long term? Because I find GM in my case, service is their problem. Up to 60 000klms there were no major problems. I've had my 05 Chevy Pick-up in three times after that for a bad head and I have had to fight them tooth and nail to get it fixed. I asked for a new motor and so has my Dealer because they now have spent enough on heads to pay for it outright. GM blamed the dealer for screwing it up, all three times and two different dealers????? Nice way to treat your own people. The second dealer fought hard for me and because of that we bought an 08 G5 last June from them. So far so good but if I have to go through this crap again with GM it will be the last GM I ever buy.
Two friends of mine have a Toyota and the other a Nissan, each has had minor problems BUT they are treated like valued customers. No problem, they fix it and a car to drive for the day. That to me is the difference between domestic and import today, after sales service.