Ford Cuts fat!

[mespock]

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20051121...PDvbMGs0NUE;_ylu=X3oDMTA2Z2szazkxBHNlYwN0bQ--

Last week, Ford Motor Co. told employees it plans to eliminate about 4,000 white-collar jobs in North America early next year as part of a restructuring plan. Ford said the cuts will be made in part through attrition and elimination of some agency and contract positions.

Wow cutting the white collar instead of the labor class... amazing!! Cutting off the Fat instead of the Lean!!

 

[barry2952]

GM is doing the same thing. They announced 9 plant closings this morning. This will kill an already fragile economy in the Detroit area.

 

[MonsterMark]

... amazing!! Cutting off the Fat instead of the Lean!![/B]

Obviously you've never seen a union worker work.:slam

 

[mespock]

Obviously you've never seen a union worker work.:slam

There you go again LOL.... Doesn't your money make you happy enough!!!

 

[raVeneyes]

GM is doing the same thing.

I may be mistaken, but I think they're doing the opposite thing. GM is getting rid of workers, while Ford's corporate culture is getting rid of middle managers.

Ford's plan makes much more sense overall, because if GM were to hit a sudden demand increase they'd have to operate at a loss if they were unable to produce cars to keep up with demand, either that or they'd lower the amount of interest because their price point would go skyrocketing. Ford's plan keeps the production expandability while getting rid of excessive management...much better.

 

[MonsterMark]

There you go again LOL.... Doesn't your money make you happy enough!!!

Let's see. My Dad ran a company in which the union nearly put it out of business. I ran a company in which I hired to temp workers who were laid off from a 'union' shop and in the 1st week they tried to start a union at my place. Btw, I paid $4/hr over minimum wage for assembly work, plus vacation, etc. Then I was looking to buy a very sick company to turn it around that had a union and they would not negotiate a contract to save the company so it was shut down. Oh, and I have been to Chicago McCormick Place for many, many trade shows where if you dare to pick up an extension cord to plug your lights in, they come and take your electrical hookup away. Btw, those guys are union too. Recently (last month) had a union making one of my products go on strike and it nearly cost me a very large account.

So I guess I'm tainted. All my experiences with unions suck. I'm from the school of treat your employees right and they'll treat you right.

Look what the morons in California recently did in the election. Alot of people HAVE to belong to a union in order to get a job. So they take your wages in the form of union dues and you have no say in how that money is spent! Imagine how you would feel if you are conservative and the unions blow all of your money supporting lefties and Democrats opposed to your belief system. Ya, your right. Unions are great.

 

[barry2952]

I'm with you Bryan. "Collective bargaining", what BS. Who gets the bargain?

 

[Calabrio]

I'm with you Bryan. "Collective bargaining", what BS. Who gets the bargain?

You tell us.

The problems with unions is that they have become the very thing they were sold to the public as the solution to. Let me clarify this- the unions were supposed to have been formed inorder to give the worker some rights in an enviroment where a single company essentially had a monopoly on employment.

If you're part of population that isn't mobile, and there is only one company in town, you're pretty much going to work there- regardless the pay or conditions. You have no choice.

Enter the Unions. Now, collectively, you balanced the monopolistic situation.
Sounds like a good idea. Easy sell.

What went wrong?
The market changed, but the unions didn't. Now unions are the monopoly. There is no competing force to balance out the union demands. As a result, more and more Fords are built in Mexico, and Japanes and Korean cares are being built in right to work states, NOT DETRIOT, to avoid the Union blackmail.

Of course, the truth is, the unions were set up primarily by socialist, and since socialist recognize the need to move incremenatly and slowly lest the public reject them, this was the inevitable outcome. The big three won't be able to afford to maintain the health care benefits they are committed to forever. In an attempt to avoid going completely bankrupt they'll have to turn to the feds to bail them out. The feds will either have to manage the automaker pension plans, or the companies will push for a nationalized system to eliminate that pension expense. Or they'll argue that Europe and Japan have socialized medicine and that it's an unfair competitive advantage for them.

 

[mespock]

I agree totally here! I am a Union Member and do see the wrong that is causing what I call union failure. I pay my dues and take what comes but I have also fought the wrong that I have seen some of my fellow union members doing, and supported actions by my employer that I felt were ethically correct. I see the need for unions but I do believe that unions need to work for the common good of the employer and employee!

You tell us.

The problems with unions is that they have become the very thing they were sold to the public as the solution to. Let me clarify this- the unions were supposed to have been formed inorder to give the worker some rights in an enviroment where a single company essentially had a monopoly on employment.

If you're part of population that isn't mobile, and there is only one company in town, you're pretty much going to work there- regardless the pay or conditions. You have no choice.

Enter the Unions. Now, collectively, you balanced the monopolistic situation.
Sounds like a good idea. Easy sell.

What went wrong?
The market changed, but the unions didn't. Now unions are the monopoly. There is no competing force to balance out the union demands. As a result, more and more Fords are built in Mexico, and Japanes and Korean cares are being built in right to work states, NOT DETRIOT, to avoid the Union blackmail.

Of course, the truth is, the unions were set up primarily by socialist, and since socialist recognize the need to move incremenatly and slowly lest the public reject them, this was the inevitable outcome. The big three won't be able to afford to maintain the health care benefits they are committed to forever. In an attempt to avoid going completely bankrupt they'll have to turn to the feds to bail them out. The feds will either have to manage the automaker pension plans, or the companies will push for a nationalized system to eliminate that pension expense. Or they'll argue that Europe and Japan have socialized medicine and that it's an unfair competitive advantage for them.