Generations at General Motors

[1931Chevy]

http://www.wytv.com/news/local/7540482.html
In tonight's 360 View where we take a look at General Motors and the effects it has had on the valley. Jeff Levkulich takes a look at how important the plant has become in the lives of those who work there.

When Republic Steel went under, during what's been called Black Monday, Roger Green was one of many steel workers unsure about the future.
And how they would support their families.

"Everbody called this the Steel Belt, the rust belt after the mills went away it was a hard time for a lot of people then and GM came in started building started growing and we are here today," said Retired GM Lordstown Employee Roger Green.

Roger was one of the first 750 employees who worked at the Lordstown plant when it opened in 1966.

He has worked in every department and retired as a supervisor there.

"It served us, it built my home, sent the kids to school. It afforded us a lot of things without them I don't know what we would be doing," said Green.

The GM-bug caught Rogers' son David, who started working at GM as summer help.

He's been full time at the plant for 12 years.

Now he is the President of the Local Auto Workers 1714.

"I think initially he wanted me to do something else other than work at the local plant, but I've always been an avid car lover who's real excited to work out there and be part of the program," said President UAW Local 1713 David Green.

David says the Lordstown Plant has become a family in itself, which has helped bring both management and labor together when it counts.

"People can relate to each other a lot better because of that you have family members, I work with a guy and he is assistant plant manager in our plant, his dad and my dad worked together so I feel we have a commonality with this guy, just because he's been involved in the facility for so long through his parents and I've been involved for so long with my parents, it's been a good feeling and I think it helpd us get through some of the tough times," said David.

Mike Polder and his son are another father son generation to work at GM.
Mike stamps out parts for the Cobalt. His father worked there for 33 years until he retired in 2004.

Both say GM has been a God send.

"GM has paid for everything I have ever done, from the time I was born they paid for that til the time I purchased my first car, they paid for everything," said Mike.

Mike Senior says it's more than just a paycheck.

[KUZCO]

i totally understand tht gm has done more for me than i can imagine me and my dad both work at a gm plant god i love gm some of the newer generatoin could give a damn though its a privelige to work for the best company in the world i got 7 years and completely undErstand what gm can do for families

[KUZCO]

Correction 6.5 Years

[asim]

Originally Posted by KUZCO

i totally understand tht gm has done more for me than i can imagine me and my dad both work at a gm plant god i love gm some of the newer generatoin could give a damn though its a privelige to work for the best company in the world i got 7 years and completely undErstand what gm can do for families

And yet there are many people flocking to go work for Toyota plants here in the United States. Maybe those plants aren't so bad, just like how GM isn't so bad.

[likearock00]

So when is the next chapter....What to do now that GM has announced it is not going to build the Cobalt there after 2009?