How responsible is the UAW regarding Ford's situation?

[manny78]

Thanks. When I searched the timesonline site I could find no reference to a Ford GT test.

I have to wonder how much of the observed assembly faults with American cars are caused by the workers, and how much caused by bad engineering, cost cutting, and shoddily made parts? I mean, I look at the recycled polypropylene milk jug interior parts of a Dodge Ram pickup and imagine that even if Dodge imported the best Turks from Porsche's upholstery shop, they still couldn't assemble those crappy cheap plastic panels any better than Dodge's union line workers.

Part of the problem is indeed the crappy parts they use. Buying a H2 50k just to have the Chevy Cavalier's radio/CD system inside is pretty disgusting. back when I worked as an investigator, i had for the first months, an unmarked Malibu 02'. Interior was cheap and would break easily, check engines every hour and more. And these were the regular Malibu's, not some tricked out police package. Everyone had bad words for the Malibu and Crown Vic (except for the squad car version). Makes you wonder why no PDs has the balls to purchase Camry, Altima, Maximas, Accords....

 

[spongebob]

As a Salaried Mgmt type, I tend to agree with you from your perspective as a worker bee.
Send me an Email when the shit hits the fan so I can use my knowledge and years or worker bee
experience to resolve it for ya.

PS,
Don't forget to use the new cover letters on those TPS reports. MmK ?
thx

lol @ worker bee. id say 40 to 60% of salaried types are what i described. hardly any input but overpaid. not all of them even have a degree.

 

[spongebob]

I assume you meant union positions, yes?

If youre saying that you think Ive never worked at all, then I cant help but laugh.

im sorry i confused you i should have put it in an email for you management types.

you listed three factors for fords demise but lay most blaim on the workers. how do you attribute 'reduction in market share' to the union? how do you extrapolate shoddy construction to the workers. explain specifically how you came to that conclusion. i.e. 'ford is notorious for bolts falling out'. or is it shoddy design? which is a management problem.

what is salary workers costing them in pay and benefits? id really like to know that considering they are the ones responsible for R&D, sales, market shares. but you havent made a one claim of them being overpaid.

 

[spongebob]

Guess what? They don't have a monopoly inflating their wages/benefits and keeping them employed. They rely on the market and their value to the company to keep them employed, they can be fired at any point and for no reason. So who is more of a charity case?

no sir you are wrong, they can not be fired for any reason at any point. there are laws that protect workers rights, the laws that unions helped get established. in fact, union workers are sometimes excluded from govt help for being in a union.

ive worked two jobs that are union represented the last 6years. im here to tell you this is fact, ive seen four times as many union hands get fired than salaery people. in fact i never saw one salaery person get fired, maybe laid off during cutbacks but NEVER fired. and ive seen a lot of salary people do a lot shit that needs firing. management protect thier own.

charity case? slice it anyway you want it but when salary people are putting in 6 hour days, sending emails back and forth, not a lot of output. sorry but they are the charity case in reality.

 

[MattTheSkywalker]

I read this post, and I sometimes wonder where some of you guys work.

Thanks on both sides for reminding me how lucky I am that I work in a place devoid of all this bullshit. Then again, I helped create our workplace, so I am biased.

But for real, we don't have any of these issues.

 

[spongebob]

yours is small enough to micro-manage.

im not gonna sit here defend union workers and say every single one of them are top notch. but its rediculous to not lay blame and point the finger at salary types. it hapens, ive seen it and they are just as useless, just as ignorant and sometimes just as unskilled(even with a degree).

i still think that 90% or better, union hands and salary types, are good workers who care about thier craft.

 

[spongebob]

oh yea and im only union cause i chose to work at a facility thats union rep'd. really makes no difference to me considering what industry im in but i do make keen observations of people and situations. and im only expressing these from that standpoint.

 

[mekannik]

shit most salery workers arent worth the hair on my nuts, talk about lazy faggots, thats a bunch right there. sitting in the office all day trying to sweet talk mary jane rottoncrotch. its fucking rediculous what ive seen. fucking nothing but emails back and forth about meetings. goddamn emails about emails confirming an email.

luncg breaks consist of all getting together and going in town for an hour and a half. then brigging thier fat asses back to the office for maybe an hour before making some excuse about going home. maybe putting in 7 hours at best, and most of that is emails and talking about doing work.

ive fucking seen it way too much so dont try and say anything any different. dont come off with some fucked up lame response about how thats just my company or companies that arent doing well, cause thats nothing but bullshit. a bunch of lazy overpaid fatasses.

O.K.

Your argument wins! I am sure every Ford auto worker on the line is putting in over 8 hours a day building quality, increasing output, and constantly looking for ways of improving the product and the process.

Damn. If only we had more like them, AND YOU, to save all of U.S. industry.

 

[spongebob]

O.K.

Your argument wins! I am sure every Ford auto worker on the line is putting in over 8 hours a day building quality, increasing output, and constantly looking for ways of improving the product and the process.

Damn. If only we had more like them, AND YOU, to save all of U.S. industry.

lamo!

 

[HiDnGoD]

Of course it's harder, but it's also harder when all you got is a record of employment to justify your experience. No degree, no certificate, nothing. No one is going to pay 50k for the sake of it.

It's a little disconcerting that I, as a licensed Millwright & experienced Machinist make less than a local union auto worker. I get more variety & experience working in a non-union shop, become a better employee, yet some minimally skilled auto worker makes 50% more.