| Dec 8, 2008 @ 1:34 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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mrjoeright
Posts: 34
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Plea from a Michigan Auto Dealer ... very interesting
http://dailyfyi.blogspot.com/2008/12/auto-industry-bridge-to-survival.html
      
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| Dec 8, 2008 @ 2:24 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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funguy007
Posts: 144
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It's been nice being retired for twelve years. GM, will go on after they get through posturing. Am hoping Chrysler, well be under GM, bigger market share that way.
What I mean about posturing, the politicians make it look like there doing something for us. 
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| Dec 10, 2008 @ 4:54 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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spaceman33
Posts: 12
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What auto industry? Our governor has completely ignored the auto industry here in Michigan, while she was trying to get her little windmill project going. Now, six years into her reign, she is concerned now. A little too late now. Michigan has been and always will be the auto industry. We need stronger leadership in Lansing. Yes, I worked in the auto industry and I am losing my job.
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| Dec 13, 2008 @ 11:58 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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legacy1
Posts: 668
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Leadership in Lansing? We need true senate leaders with a sac to save this industry and not worry about the forgein automakers so much!
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| Dec 14, 2008 @ 11:03 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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abear4u
Posts: 2
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I hope all the big 3 go belly up!! No all of the auto workers are over paid baby's but I'll say at least 75% are.. I've hauled parts both in and out of all 3 plants here in Michigan. And I've had nothing but trouble from all 3. The workers I've seen are all lazy and the union stood behind them. The workers had a quota each day to do so much work and thats all the work they done for that day. So it's no wonder the auto industry is in such a postion.. I hope it continues for them untill the union and the workers all take a pay cut along with the top big-wigs!! 
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| Dec 18, 2008 @ 4:57 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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I hope all the big 3 go belly up!! No all of the auto workers are over paid baby's but I'll say at least 75% are.. I've hauled parts both in and out of all 3 plants here in Michigan. And I've had nothing but trouble from all 3. The workers I've seen are all lazy and the union stood behind them. The workers had a quota each day to do so much work and thats all the work they done for that day. So it's no wonder the auto industry is in such a postion.. I hope it continues for them untill the union and the workers all take a pay cut along with the top big-wigs!!
I understand your point, I too have seen the ugly side of the unions.
The help the big three need, is to release the unions from the factories. Not the auto industry to collapse.
Throwing the baby out with the bath water is not a solution.
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| Dec 22, 2008 @ 9:03 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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outdoorgirl4u
Posts: 15
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I worked for 32 years in the auto industry, on the line, and I am by far lazy!  I had 1, I repeat ONE! [1] unexcused absence in that time. I had 2 chidren while employed. I worked 12 hour days, 6 days a week until 9 days before they were born. That's when I got my 1 unexcused absence. Not to say others are not lazy because your going to find that in EVERY! job out there somewhere. As one must know you can't judge a worker without judging there supervisors and upper management. I feel that the auto industries problems lie with the upper management and not the workers. Workers take cuts and upper management gets a raise , huge bonus and options in stocks. How is that the fault of the workers? One must walk in anothers shoes before he can truly know just what they are going through. I would not be so quick to throw stones when you live in a glass house , or to spit in the well one day you may have to drink from. Just my years experience of what I have seen over the years daily, and not now and again. 
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| Dec 24, 2008 @ 6:08 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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otommy99
Posts: 2
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Now it couldn't have anything to do with the top management with yearly salaries and bonuses that exceed the amount the average worker makes in their whole career could it ?
And no I don't work in the auto industry ! 
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| Dec 27, 2008 @ 8:06 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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arabhorses
Posts: 1
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I am so sick and tired of reading these post of the big 3. Especially from ignorant posters that don't think that the collapse of the big 3 is not going to effect them. 1 in every 6 jobs are tied to the auto industry in the US not just Michigan. I am not employed by the big 3 but i do work for them. I know if they go down my job is gone and so are millions of other jobs. Unions are 1/3 of the company. The big 3 do not have a level playing field against the foreign auto makers, thats a fact! Our country needs a solid industry/manufacturing base, to let the big 3 fail would put america in such a weaker state then it already is. I just don't understand why I don't see posts on how the 700 billion is being spent? your hard earn money just went to pay for luxury parties and huge bonuses. Most of the companies can't or won't explain where most of the money went. Give me a break and bitch about something thats worth bitching about!
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| Dec 27, 2008 @ 10:57 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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RightWingRepublican
Posts: 451
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I was reading what everyone had to say about the Big 3.
I just wanted to throw my two cents in, the observation of an outsider.
The employees and the company itself put all of it's eggs in one basket.
They acted as if nothing could ever happen to their company and jobs.
I can personally name about 12 people i know who worked for one or the other, that were making ridiculous paychecks for sitting around. They would brag that they just made 30+ hour to do nothing. I was a bartender for many years, so i also met many many people from those companies. They all said the same thing, "money to do nothing"
Now i'm all for people getting by in life, maybe it's the capitalist in me. I like to see people succeed and do well for themselves. But at what point did it become wrong.
I would bust my backside to make $800 a week. I would just work and work.
When these companies began to "go under" i was busting my backside to make $200 a week.
Those people who had all of this money were now going broke, and it was trickling down all the way to my job.
When the people who were living the high life for doing nothing lost these jobs, i lost mine also.
It DOES effect everyone in some way.
They were still coming in and having drinks, but the they were not talking about how much money and no work they were doing. They were talking about selling their houses, boats, cars, jet ski's etc. and i was not getting the $50 tip anymore. it became $2-3.
It hurt my way of life. I had to use my degree and get a different job.
The union's didn't help much either. I know a guy that had drug issues and was caught on the job. The union basically stepped in and "fixed" the problem so that he would not be fired. That job could have been available to a man with a family that needed the job!
If we are so concerned about the state of our economy, then maybe buying American made would be a huge help.
All the TV's people purchased for Christmas were made in China and Japan.
Jewelry, food, computers, even our Tampons ladies, are made elsewhere. Now THAT is creepy. (when i saw made in Israel on mine, i decided not to put them where they were intended to go)
There is no fix to this problem.
but i would let them pay me half of what they pay others to do the same darn thing.
Let me also specify that not all workers are lazy and over paid. I'm just using these as a basic example.
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| Dec 28, 2008 @ 2:51 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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I have been a member of two different unions, and for the most part, the resources of the unions are spent on those that do not deserve the help.
It basically protects the worst of their members...While the rest just show up and do their job.
If you can't get rid of the dead weight, you have created a bigger problem than the unions were supposed to solve in the first place.
If you show up everyday, and do your work as efficiently as possible, there is really no reason to have a union .
I like getting a raise because I did the job better than the guy next me. Not because it is June 14th and everyone gets the raise regardless of their performance.
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| Jan 1 @ 6:02 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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spaceman33
Posts: 12
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Unions are bad news anymore. I was in a union for 7 years, and I seen the good and the bad. As far as a union protecting the offender, yes it does happen. Where I worked, two guys got into a fight, one was fired and the other retained his job, thanks to the union. Last I knew it took two to tangle. Then when the company that I worked for was in bankruptcy and threatning to go to court to get our union contract cancelled, so they could cut our wages and make us pay more for our health insurance, the union came in handy then. But now two years later, the company has had the last laugh, when they told us that the place was being closed. All our jobs were heading south, obviuosly where unions are not as strong. Unions are not worth the money anymore. All a company has to do is to wait it out, then when you least expect it, the company can just say we need to close so that we can survive. I am not saying it is all the unions fault, I would say over 50% of the fault lies on managements side. I have lost my job, no thanks to our union or to the company. It just makes you feel like you spent so many years of your life for nothing. And when you see your job going out the door and heading down the highway, it is just like getting kicked in the gut.
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| Jan 5 @ 2:25 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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mrcryypc
Posts: 4
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It is the unions fault for helping auto worker become the most overpaid people in the country. My uncle has been retired for years and still received a bonus check this year from GM, which failed to post profits, if that makes sense. The only way the auto industries in the US are going to survive is if they make vehicles Americans want (look at Ford now and Toyota obviously) and if they somehow either kill the unions or negotiate with the union to bring the majority of the autoworker salaries down. I know autoworkers won't agree with me, but who would agree with their own pay decrease. Truth is though, no line worker in the world deserves to make 40-50 an hour and double and triple time for overtimes. I have tons of friends and family in this industry but this doesn't change how I feel.
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| Jan 5 @ 9:30 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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JacksonGuy4U
Posts: 1
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The big 3 developed absolutely horrible cars in the late 70's all the way into the early 90's. Some went all the way up to a few years ago. GM sank a ton of cash and marketing into the Asstec and any one with half a brain could have killed that turd before production. Not to mention all of the badge engineered GM crap in the 80’s. Chrysler had the K car variants back in the day and those were crap. Ford made several cars back then that were unreliable and styling nightmares (ugly round Taurus etc). It's not the union's fault that they had poorly designed lackluster cars running down the line. Poor management decisions and cars developed by people that were out of touch with the consumers are what created the crap that was built back then.
It will take years for the newer cars that are starting to trickle out to catch on because the media and consumers are both beating up the big 3 for past mistakes. It took more than a few years for Toyota and Honda to build a reputation for dependable cars and the big 3 will have to regain the public trust before things will get better. They all have some good cars at the moment (even a couple of Chryslers). It's time to shut up and develop more of the cars that people actually want.
And don't think for a minute that I'm a big union fan because I'm not. Skilled trades such as journeymen (toolmakers, electricians etc) should be highly paid. They worked to improve themselves and deserve a high wage for it. A line worker that has been paid to work on the line for 20 years shouldn't earn a high wage because it's not a skilled job. Assembly work sucks and most assembly line workers work hard but it’s an unskilled trade. A high wage for unskilled workers that haven't worked to improve themselves (make their employment more valuable) just doesn't make sense.
I’ve seen too many workers that think the company they work for “owes” them because they’ve been there for XX number of years. It’s like they don’t realize that they got paid for what they did for all those years. I’ve worked for the same company for almost 20 years now and they’ve paid me for every week of work. They “owe” me nothing because I’ve already been paid.
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| Jan 5 @ 10:07 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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The governments C.A.F.E. standards have not helped either. I have a fear that since they borrowed the money, they might be held to new C.A.F.E, standards as well.
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| Apr 27 @ 1:11 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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Luv2LikU
Posts: 17
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First of all, you sound jealous. Second of all, let me tell you a fact about at least one of those "baby workers". He is my brother-in-law. This man has missed work. He misses 6 weeks when his doctor REFUSED to let him go to work because he had shingles ( the adult form of chicken pox ). He missed work when they had their shut downs in July. He missed work when my mother, my brother, his brother and nephew passed away BUT when he was diagnosed with stage 3 Non-Hodgkins Lymphoma and had to undergo chemotherapy, he STILL went to work EVERYDAY. He simply scheduled his appointments around his work. Also, he worked on their house when he got home and made sure all of our cars stayed in running condition. Nope. Not a lazy bone in that man's body. He works for GM. He's also losing his job which is going to make it harder for him to see the doctor.
If you want to whine about something, whine about all of the foreigners who keep coming here in droves to take away jobs that belong to the people who have history here. Whine about them coming here and working for X amount of years then retiring and taking YOUR social security ( or that of your childs ).
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| Apr 27 @ 8:02 AM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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funguy007
Posts: 144
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Very well put LUV2.  
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| Apr 27 @ 4:36 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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Luv2LikU
You're talking about one person, we were discussing the entire industry, and the union that help run into the ground.
Let me ask you this, would he rather get a raise based on his ability or from his seniority?
Would he rather keep his job because he was a hard worker, or let someone else keep theirs because they had more seniority ?
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| May 2 @ 4:08 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry
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legacy1
Posts: 668
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we were discussing the entire industry, and the union that help run into the ground
To say the Union ruined the auto industry is BS plain and simple and your opinion is based on pure jealousy. We are talking about cars here...things that are made to withstand crashes and help save a life if need be....you right wing jackoffs want to pay a shitty wage to put together something that might save a life and help get you from point A to point B!
I say the auto makers are worth every penny they are paid if it is going to one day help me in a crash or get me to where I am going. If it was up to you we would all be driving YUGOS and other cheap pieces of shit.
Blame the white collars in the office who gave the thumbs up to the shitty cars the workers had to make..not the other way around!
it's amazing how we keep hearing from the right buy American..buy American but wants an American Instutution to go belly up to show those nasty union workers we mean buisness.
But yet the senators and the shit down south want to give big automakers such as BMW & Toyota huge tax breaks to the foreign automakers...because they know what they are doing? GO F'N FIGURE?
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| May 3 @ 12:24 PM |
Michigan Auto Industry |
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blueyes101
Posts: 12,080
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You're attaching shit with nuts and bolts, not fly men to the moon or doing open heart surgery. All the real safety factors are already assembled ( like the air bags, seat belts ect ) you don't deserve $30+ an hour to bolt the damn thing in. Even the welds are done by robotics to ensure they are done correctly. But good thing there are union workers to watch it being done right . huh ? 
$1500 of every car made, pays for the health care of those who longer even build the cars.
How much extra are you willing to pay for a big mac, or to get your teeth cleaned or any other product or service .............knowing you are paying for the health care of those who longer serve any function of the product or service they once provided ?
I work in the construction field, no sick days, no vacation, no health insurance, ( no work = no pay ) each and every sale I make is new job interview, I have to sell myself and my work for every single dollar I make. With 100% liability to any harm or damage I may potentially cause. Go build a deck a know that 10-15 years down the road they may have 30-40 people on that deck, and you are liable for their safety. Far cry from standing in one place grabbing an air wrench and attaching a few bolts of an already assembled product. 
Don't even get me started on bullshit design and assembly of the cheap parts they put in cars now a days. We just scratch our heads and wonder what asshole thought this design was such a good idea. Half metric, you need a hand full of tools to even change an alternator.
Had a friend for on here tell me it cost her $400 to have one replaced ( cause she can't do it herself ), I checked and the parts are only $120. That's $280 for LABOR !!!!!!!!!! And this is on a vehicle she is paying $300 - $400 a month for.
Some day these folks will have to go out and get a real job, do some real work, and realize how fricken spoiled they have been hiding under the skirts of the union.
Jealous........ NO !!!!!!!!!!!!!, I have worked for 2 unions, and would rather have my own fate in MY Hands then some A holes sitting in an office trying to justify their existence.
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