GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
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GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
http://www.upi.com/NewsTrack/view.ph...8-095235-2567r
GM fires hundreds of white-collar workers
DETROIT, March 28 (UPI) -- General Motors Corp. has begun firing hundreds of white-collar workers in what employees have dubbed "Black Tuesday."
Short-timers at GM's Tech Center in Warren, for example, were escorted from their offices to one of about three dozen conference rooms and told they were history, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The layoffs come weeks after the ailing automaker reported losing $10.6 billion last year.
Cutbacks were apparently first hitting the upper ranks, what is called the eighth level. Workers at that level have company cars so GM arranged for a taxi service to take them home, workers said.
A spokesman for one rental car agency in the Detroit area said GM had put them on standby for Tuesday. "They know we can accommodate them at any moment. We do group moves for GM, Ford and Chrysler all the time," he said.
DETROIT, March 28 (UPI) -- General Motors Corp. has begun firing hundreds of white-collar workers in what employees have dubbed "Black Tuesday."
Short-timers at GM's Tech Center in Warren, for example, were escorted from their offices to one of about three dozen conference rooms and told they were history, the Detroit Free Press reported.
The layoffs come weeks after the ailing automaker reported losing $10.6 billion last year.
Cutbacks were apparently first hitting the upper ranks, what is called the eighth level. Workers at that level have company cars so GM arranged for a taxi service to take them home, workers said.
A spokesman for one rental car agency in the Detroit area said GM had put them on standby for Tuesday. "They know we can accommodate them at any moment. We do group moves for GM, Ford and Chrysler all the time," he said.
Last edited by anasazi; Mar 28, 2006 at 02:42 PM.
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Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Nothing surprising about that. 
You have to trim the fat in all areas and those folks are the easiest to work with.
You have to trim the fat in all areas and those folks are the easiest to work with.
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From: Illinois
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by grossesexy
Nothing surprising about that. You have to trim the fat in all areas and those folks are the easiest to work with.
You have to trim the fat in all areas and those folks are the easiest to work with.
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Joined: May 2001
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From: New Haven, CT
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
Yeah sucks that ANYONE gets fired, but when you are in that deep of financial trouble, you've got to do more than just blue collar job cutting.
I'm sure that with a company that big there were bound to be some BS white collar jobs.
I'm sure that with a company that big there were bound to be some BS white collar jobs.
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Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by Shempy
But is the fat on teeh assembly line or in the engineering department where GM is still working to catch up? That may be the more important question.
If they could have cut more line workers they would. I would hope these weren't engineers but more along the lines of less critical functions. (I know, I know, all functions of a business are critical but you know what I mean )
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From: New Haven, CT
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by Shempy
But is the fat on the assembly line or in the engineering department where GM is still working to catch up? That may be the more important question.
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From: Hemet, CA
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
Ouch. It's going to be a rough holiday season for those people. That's going to put a real black cloud over many an Easter egg hunt.
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From: Indianapolis, IN
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
GM Lays Off Several Hundred Salaried Employees
The Associated Press
By Dee-ann Durbin
March 28, 2006
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp., pummeled by falling U.S. sales and billions in losses, said Tuesday that it is laying off several hundred U.S. salaried workers as part of a plan to bring its North American operations back to profitability.
GM spokesman Robert Herta said he couldn't give an exact figure, but the world's biggest automaker plans to cut fewer than 500 workers at 30 locations across the United States , including factories and engineering centers.
The cuts represent around 1.3 percent of GM's U.S. salaried work force of 36,000. The company has said it plans to cut 7 percent of its salaried work force this year, so more cuts are on the way.
GM shares rose 2 cents to $22.95 in premarket trading.
Detroit-based GM announced a restructuring plan last fall in the face of mounting losses. Under the plan, GM wants to cut 30,000 U.S. hourly workers and close 12 facilities by 2008. GM lost $10.6 billion in 2005, largely because of declining sales and rising costs in North America .
Production at the Oklahoma City assembly plant was shut down Feb. 20 leaving about 2,200 employees out of work.
The layoffs are GM's second major jobs-related announcement in a week. GM on Wednesday said it would offer buyouts to its U.S. hourly workers of between $35,000 and $140,000 as part of the plan to cut its hourly work force. GM currently has 113,000 hourly workers. Salaried workers aren't eligible for those buyouts.
GM's severance packages vary by position and level of experience, but employees generally receive one month of severance pay for each year of service at the automaker up to a maximum of 15 months. They also will continue to receive health benefits and will be eligible for outplacement assistance during that time, Herta said. Salaried workers with company vehicles will be able to keep those vehicles for a period of time.
"We're trying our best to treat these impacted individuals with dignity and respect," Herta said.
The Associated Press
By Dee-ann Durbin
March 28, 2006
DETROIT -- General Motors Corp., pummeled by falling U.S. sales and billions in losses, said Tuesday that it is laying off several hundred U.S. salaried workers as part of a plan to bring its North American operations back to profitability.
GM spokesman Robert Herta said he couldn't give an exact figure, but the world's biggest automaker plans to cut fewer than 500 workers at 30 locations across the United States , including factories and engineering centers.
The cuts represent around 1.3 percent of GM's U.S. salaried work force of 36,000. The company has said it plans to cut 7 percent of its salaried work force this year, so more cuts are on the way.
GM shares rose 2 cents to $22.95 in premarket trading.
Detroit-based GM announced a restructuring plan last fall in the face of mounting losses. Under the plan, GM wants to cut 30,000 U.S. hourly workers and close 12 facilities by 2008. GM lost $10.6 billion in 2005, largely because of declining sales and rising costs in North America .
Production at the Oklahoma City assembly plant was shut down Feb. 20 leaving about 2,200 employees out of work.
The layoffs are GM's second major jobs-related announcement in a week. GM on Wednesday said it would offer buyouts to its U.S. hourly workers of between $35,000 and $140,000 as part of the plan to cut its hourly work force. GM currently has 113,000 hourly workers. Salaried workers aren't eligible for those buyouts.
GM's severance packages vary by position and level of experience, but employees generally receive one month of severance pay for each year of service at the automaker up to a maximum of 15 months. They also will continue to receive health benefits and will be eligible for outplacement assistance during that time, Herta said. Salaried workers with company vehicles will be able to keep those vehicles for a period of time.
"We're trying our best to treat these impacted individuals with dignity and respect," Herta said.
Most definitely sucks, but at least they get some severence pay and benefits for months while they look for new jobs. I hope they have good luck finding new employment.
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From: Grandville/ Grand Rapids, Michigan
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
My friend... who will remain nameless at this point... just left GM actually not even 2 weeks ago. Its not that his job was on the chopping block either. In fact they offered him his job at any time in the future if he ever wants to return. But he had told me that there were grumblings of what was to come. Basically, last weekend at a party, he said it was going to be an Office Space situation where people were brought in and interviewed for their own job. ALL of the conference rooms were rented out by the same guy today. All of them. There are 150ish conference rooms.
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From: Petersham, MA
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by TheV6Bird
Probebly on whoever does the least TPS reports
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From: Kansas
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforehand
Id like to know if GM is cutting the salaries of their top executives down because that should be the first place to start saving money... at least before they began laying off workers.
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From: Long Island, NY
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by turbo_Z
Id like to know if GM is cutting the salaries of their top executives down because that should be the first place to start saving money... at least before they began laying off workers.
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From: Shelbyville, IN
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Level 8 is pretty high. My Dad is a Level 7, but he is at Allisons and being the only profitable division other then GMAC, they are not shaking them up like the Car divisions... Although, it wouldn't suprise me if they tried to sell them off again. Daimler Chrysler Allison anyone?
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From: Ontario
Re: GM fired so many people with company cars that they warned taxi companies beforeh
Originally Posted by Chrome383Z
Level 8 is pretty high. My Dad is a Level 7, but he is at Allisons and being the only profitable division other then GMAC, they are not shaking them up like the Car divisions... Although, it wouldn't suprise me if they tried to sell them off again. Daimler Chrysler Allison anyone?