Hundreds could leave Anderson plant for GM jobs elsewhere

[GMCSonoma]

ANDERSON, Ind. -- Hundreds of workers from Anderson's closed Guide Corp. plant could soon be leaving the area for jobs at General Motors Corp. factories across the country.

United Auto Workers officials estimate about 400 people who worked at the Guide plant before it closed last year are eligible for positions at GM factories, such as an assembly plant in Kansas that has 300 openings.
Former Guide employees have been told by letter that they must apply by Friday if they are interested in jobs at the Fairfax, Kan., plant.

Article continues @ link

[GM lover]

What is the Guide factory?

[Highlander]

Is Guide the headlight manufacturer that used to be part of GM back in the day?

[prototype66]

Indiana is quite a hike from Kansas. Moving is no fun either but a good job is tough to find these days also. I wish them well which ever way they go.

[roy219]

Originally Posted by Highlander

Is Guide the headlight manufacturer that used to be part of GM back in the day?

That's the one. They designed and manufactured both forward and signal lighting systems (the latter were manufactured in the Anderson, Indiana plant).

All of Guide Corporation's operations were shuttered in 2007. Curiously, the company's website is still active.

Two other former GM subsidiaries, Delco Remy and Delphi, have also closed their Anderson manufacturing facilities since 2003.

Anderson has garnered much praise for its efforts in diversifying its economy since the 1980s. Nestlé opened manufacturing and distribution operations for Nesquik and Coffee-Mate products in Anderson recently.

[ctaylorzl1]

Thats good to hear, I'm glad GM is making provisions for them to move to other plants. Anderson is like 30 mintues from me. It was big news when they closed last year, as well as the Delco plant there closing a while back.

[Hoosier Red]

I grew up in Anderson so I know the situation well. My father retired from Delphi after working 43 years for GM/Delphi. I flew home from San Diego to be there when he retired and I remember how sad it was to go into the factory with him on his last day. The sadness centered around seeing the decline of the manufacturing capacity that was no longer there. Most of the factory floor was empty. Delphi was already known to be closing within 12-18 months and actually declared bankruptcy a few months after my father retired. I remember as a child when there were 20 some thousand jobs in Anderson related to GM. Although the city has been working hard to diversify the economy, it is almost impossible to replace those jobs quickly and the new jobs certainly don't come close to the benefits and pay of those that were lost. I know the animosity on this board toward the UAW, but it really is a complicated problem. How do we as a country remain a great nation with little to no manufacturing capacity? The line we were fed about NAFTA being a net good because now instead of working in a greasy, hot factory, our children would be doing higher paying white collar jobs is a myth. Nobody told us those white collar jobs could be just as easily outsourced as well. Once my service is done in the Navy, there's a good chance I may move back home, but I would be a rarity among the kids I grew up with. I cannot think of anyone in the top 10% of my high school class of 1988 who remains in our hometown. What I do know is this: it's really tough on a town of 70,000 when 20 some thousand high paying manufacturing jobs leave.

[Buick61]

NOOOOOOOO.

I'm going to miss being able to tell what year the car is based on the "Guide XX" imprint on the tail lights. My Buick says "Guide 61," for example.

[JBsZ06]

Originally Posted by Hoosier Red

I grew up in Anderson so I know the situation well. My father retired from Delphi after working 43 years for GM/Delphi. I flew home from San Diego to be there when he retired and I remember how sad it was to go into the factory with him on his last day. The sadness centered around seeing the decline of the manufacturing capacity that was no longer there. Most of the factory floor was empty. Delphi was already known to be closing within 12-18 months and actually declared bankruptcy a few months after my father retired. I remember as a child when there were 20 some thousand jobs in Anderson related to GM. Although the city has been working hard to diversify the economy, it is almost impossible to replace those jobs quickly and the new jobs certainly don't come close to the benefits and pay of those that were lost. I know the animosity on this board toward the UAW, but it really is a complicated problem. How do we as a country remain a great nation with little to no manufacturing capacity? The line we were fed about NAFTA being a net good because now instead of working in a greasy, hot factory, our children would be doing higher paying white collar jobs is a myth. Nobody told us those white collar jobs could be just as easily outsourced as well. Once my service is done in the Navy, there's a good chance I may move back home, but I would be a rarity among the kids I grew up with. I cannot think of anyone in the top 10% of my high school class of 1988 who remains in our hometown. What I do know is this: it's really tough on a town of 70,000 when 20 some thousand high paying manufacturing jobs leave.

Thank you for your insight and for your service to your country.

JB

[wildgoosechase]

This is a shame but I fear only the beginning. We will see a great increase in the content of foreign made parts in future GM cars.