What plant is idled and has workers getting paid to sit n their bums? Do you know what idles means? It is a fancy word GM came up when the agreeed not to close any plants so they could close plants.

#69 & 73 Eric

Lets see, you are either managment, were union and were fired or daddy couldn’t get you a job and you are mad that you are not making Union wages and benefits.

Yes there are stupid jobs that Union employees get paid good money for. At the same time with the workers leaving those jobs will be going to the new lower paid workers. Best benefits in the world? Why does the health care get worse with every new contract then?

For those worried about lower quality with the new workers, with GMs contract with the UAW the lower wage workers will not affect quality. They will not be building the cars. The way it is set up there are 2 types of jobs.

1. You are directly involved with the production of the part
2. You are not directly involved with the production of the part

The 1s will be the higher paid workers, the 2s will be the new lower paid workers.

Also as far as the buyouts go. All UAW members were offered the buyouts no matter how much time thay had. There were some that were hired as temp workers after the last buyout and were hired on perm after the new contract. They were able to take a buyout as well under the guidlines of the buyouts. Buyouts were based on the senority of the employee. There were different amounts of money based in the senority of the worker.

Something to remember. The UAW workers that get the bad rap for GMs decisions, don’t make the decisions. They do not choose what cars get built, what engine goes in the cars. The make what the higher ups decide to make. Wagoner and Lutz make more money in one year than any UAW employee will make in 30 years. The UAW member has more to loose than anyone else. They are the onles like you that work to put food on the table, a roof over their families head and hopefully thae ability to pay for their childs colege education. Do you think Wagoner is worried where he is going to get the money to pay for his kids to go to school?

GM has decided to build the Volt in the USA. More specificly the Hamtramick (sp?) plant. My guess is that it is where they can keep the best eye on the car. GM is based in Detroit and this is the car that everyone expects to save the company. It makes since to build the car in the plant that is in Detroit and not China. That is the same reason the engine/generator will be made in the USA.

Amen.

Henry Ford understood this when he raised his workers salary to a whopping $5 a day. He knew that this would increase their spending power to enable them to purchase other consumer goods as well as his Model T.

Our CEO’s and Execs have not learned this lesson, nor have they tried. Reducing pay, cutting workers, etc, does not bolster our economy. If you cut and cut and cut your workers there are less available people around with enough income to be able to purchase the very things your company is producing. You’re chopping your feet off in spite of yourself!