I'm trying to imagine the UAW workers in the assembly lines during all of this turmoil.

Maybe their reaction is 'eff it' and they're just slapping the cars together lazily fully expecting a pay reduction or loss of their job in the future regardless.

Or maybe their reaction is the opposite... 'it's go time' and they're out to prove they're worth the wages they earn that have been under so much scrutiny recently and to save the company that has paid them so well for so many years?

Or maybe it's business as usual and the assembly quality and consistency of cars on the lines today is no different from what it was a year ago or what it will be a year from now?

 

I wonder things like this myself. I am giving the benefit of the doubt and think they realize that they all need to step up as a team and get back to kicking ***.

 

A poor attitude would guarantee themselves out of a job.

 

Yeah, that is what I am thinking. At this point, everyone should consider their heads on a block.

 

The quality doesn't concern as much as the type of cars that will be available.

In typical knee-jerk over-reaction GM has begun moving wholesale to small cars. I'm very worried that they will be caught with their pants down yet again.

 

I have seen both scenarios play out while working at UAW facilities in MI. From my experience it is very dependent on the tone upper management sets at the companies plant. If upper management tells the workers there is hope, we are here to help, and these are the things you need to do to improve most workers will quickly respond to help the company.

However, if upper management present a doom and gloom tone, then they are only setting themselves up for failure. If you show the employees how terrible their plant is doing and make them feel they can do nothing to change it, they will not try. I worked at a plant that was in poor condition and in need of contract renegotiation. Mangement only presented the employees with negative data, but did not tell them how to fix the problems. Months following the presentation quality problems skyrocketed because employees were angry and felt an urge to get even.

Hopefully this will not be the case with GM and they have done a good job of leading their employees in the right direction to resolve the problems they are facing.

 

Working in production at GM oshawa, I've noticed many people actually become MORE involved in trying to save the company money, do more to improve quality and fix things that aren't part of their jobs.

Of course you'll never be able to change certain people's attitudes, but the ones that DO CARE about the company and their jobs take a more proactive role to help the corporation.

I find that it's when things are great and people take everything for granted that people generally don't care.

I've worked with so many guys that got laidoff (possibly forever) due to the closure of the oshawa truck plant that did EVERYTHING under the sun until the very last day....the last minute.....just to make sure they had a flawless "work record" in the event they would ever need to re-hire them. I worked with guys that travelled more than 30 hours/wk to come to work & NEVER took time off. It would be easy for a person like that to just say screw it, I'm going on sick leave.

We are a dedicated bunch and for the most part don't deserve the negative press that the UAW & CAW employees get.

BTW, this is not a rant. Just my honest opinion.

 

I am more concerned about the cars on the drawing boards now than the ones in production. GM 18 months ago was in almost a golden age of design. Now work has stopped on almost anything emotional and the beancounters are in charge again.

 

Yes, I'm more concerned with management and engineering. It's hard to focus on a sound business plan when everything seems like a moving target.

I know that GM tried to cut cost buidling the Camaro plant and certain things needed to be rectified and it cost them in overtime pay in the end. Nothing major but just an example.

Like I've said before, I just hope GM doesn't put all their eggs in 1 basket, like turning everything they make into hybrids.

 

Hats off to you guys.

 

That's my feeling too. The workers aren't magical, they are putting together what was designed and engineered. If it starts off bad, the production process isn't going to make it any better.