Union blockades GM headquarters in Oshawa

[SUPERBADD75]

Originally Posted by Perian

GM must tread lightly here. There is too much to lose.

Imagine what the CAW can do to Camaro production.

It may make the Malibu "production disruption" look like a cake-walk.

i don't think Camaro production disruptions will kill GM. they really need to worry more about their compact offerings than a low volume musclecar right now anyway. maybe some ripples in the Camaro water would be a good thing.

[JT87]

Originally Posted by SUPERBADD75

i don't think Camaro production disruptions will kill GM. they really need to worry more about their compact offerings than a low volume musclecar right now anyway. maybe some ripples in the Camaro water would be a good thing.

No, but Impala production disruptions, as well as pickup disruptions, won't be a good thing. (cutting production on your best selling truck, and bringing production of your best selling car to 0? not good).

If a Camaro 'disruption' causes a severe loss in production, that would mean that it would take even LONGER for GM to recuperate the multi-billion dollar investment in the car assembly plants.

[bone]

My understanding of the contract agreed upon by the CAW and GM is that one shift was guaranteed as of this fall.( A drop from 3 shifts earlier this year.) If that is true then GM has no integrity on this issue. I'm not a union supporter,however, in this case I do understand their anger. I agree with paul 8488 in his predictions of a GM backlash by the Canadian public. June sales will be very telling.

[hondaguy]

Originally Posted by shabodah

I honestly don't understand how people were unprepared for any of this, nor how unskilled laborers who were making more than twice the normal wage found it so impossible to budget.

exactly...30 bucks an hour on unskilled labour making vehicles that are diminishing in popularity spells disaster for these unfortunate people

also what people dont realize is that buzz's us counterpart made concessions while he made demands...i can still remember him on the radio a few weeks ago saying that this contract was his legacy yada yada yada....meanwhile he failed his union by not seeing the big economic picture regarding the vehicles that were being produced and unwittingly snookered the plant into closure.

too many demands and not enough concessions

[windvale]

GM's market share has dropped to 19.3%
Toyota's market share is now 18.5%
I would expect Toyota to pass GM for US monthly market share later this year.

Let the Union blockade GM Canada's headquarters as long as they want. I'd even give 'em the key to the place. GM's got much, much bigger things to worry about, and spend time on, than a truck plant in Canada...

[TJ95GAGT]

SO disrupting other vehicles production lines is gets what accomplished? Lets hurt our employer more then they already are.... sounds like a great plan to me. Guess they all want to be unemployed?

(If they do infact halt production of other cars to "show" GM they can stick it to 'em. )

[BurnOut]

Originally Posted by GMC-70

What do you guys expect the workers to do? Lay down and take it in the @ss?? These guys are losing their livelyhood and I am sure most of us would feel the same if something like this happened at your place of employment.

It DID happen to me. My company was being acquired and everyone was repeatedly told, by managers from BOTH companies, that there was nothing to worry about and that there would be jobs for everyone, etc...

Lo and behold, deal day comes, and guess what... maybe 25% of the people there kept their jobs... everyone else was told that that day would be their last and that they would get 2 weeks severance, regardless of seniority.

Yeah, it sucked. Did anyone throw a tantrum and blockade building entrances, etc...? No... we got together for a "happy" hour, had a couple of drinks, bitched a little bit, and went home to begin our job searches the next day.

So, yeah, you could say that I expect these workers to "take it in the @ss"; I think that they need to grow up, realize that life isn't fair and that $hit happens, and spend more time looking for a new gig instead of harassing their current (soon to be former) employer.

[TJ95GAGT]

Originally Posted by GMC-70

What do you guys expect the workers to do? Lay down and take it in the @ss?? These guys are losing their livelyhood and I am sure most of us would feel the same if something like this happened at your place of employment.

Is GM supposed to just keep taking it in the @ss? If any one of the people losing their job ran a business they would know what needs to be done and the fact of the matter is that production needs to be cut on a slow selling model.

[ByTheLake]

Yeah, a blockade will clearly show the CAW's interest in being a GM partner.

Sure, it's not the CAW's fault that GM has a truck-heavy product mix, but as GM reactively shifts to smaller vehicles, you'd think that the CAW would want to demonstrate that it is interested in building those products.

Morons.

[Vladimir1978]

If it's a legal strike, absolutely not.

I believe what you're referencing is a wildcat strike. In which case I would agree with you.

Originally Posted by TJ95GAGT

When a union strikes, is that going back on a signed contract that was signed in good faith?

[GMC-70]

Originally Posted by BurnOut

It DID happen to me. My company was being acquired and everyone was repeatedly told, by managers from BOTH companies, that there was nothing to worry about and that there would be jobs for everyone, etc...

Lo and behold, deal day comes, and guess what... maybe 25% of the people there kept their jobs... everyone else was told that that day would be their last and that they would get 2 weeks severance, regardless of seniority.

Yeah, it sucked. Did anyone throw a tantrum and blockade building entrances, etc...? No... we got together for a "happy" hour, had a couple of drinks, bitched a little bit, and went home to begin our job searches the next day.

So, yeah, you could say that I expect these workers to "take it in the @ss"; I think that they need to grow up, realize that life isn't fair and that $hit happens, and spend more time looking for a new gig instead of harassing their current (soon to be former) employer.

I am not saying that a blockade of the entrance is right, but they do have a right to be upset and I don't think a happy hour and a job search on Monster is going to make their problems go away. I don't know what your case was but I am sure many of these guys have families to support and not just themselves. Also, with the current state of the economy there's not much hiring going on is there??

Only makes the matter worse.

[mpsrent]

It's hard to believe that GM management did not know this was coming when they signed their May 2008 agreement with the CAW. You don't make a decision to close a multi million dollar plant overnight.

The integrity of GM's current management has been severely damaged, not just with the soon to be unemployed Oshawa employees, but with the general public. The media damage that GM has generate is massive. I've asked some non auto industry people about this news and GM is viewed as a mean spirited company that can't be trusted. With declining sales, plant closures and thier lies to employees, GM is rightfully earning a reputation of a company that you would not want to invest in or buy your vehicle from.

Ironically, immediately after all the bad GM news stories I heard on the TV last night, they followed up with a success story about how well the Alliston, Ontario Honda plant is doing and the fact that they have never laid off staff and are currently hiring new employees. This message only further strenghtens the masses impression that Honda is a company for their future while GM is a company from their past. It will cost GM millions if not billions to recover from this public relations fiasco.

[ByTheLake]

Originally Posted by GMC-70

What do you guys expect the workers to do? Lay down and take it in the @ss?? These guys are losing their livelyhood and I am sure most of us would feel the same if something like this happened at your place of employment.

If my employer gave me A YEAR'S NOTICE that my office was closing, I'd not waste time with a childish blockade, but rather I'd be lining up a new job.

While there are never any guarantees, I've spent a huge chunk of my life getting three college degrees and continue to go through hundreds of hours of high-tech schooling annually to ensure that I have a fighting chance to remain employed. I firmly believe that nobody owes me a job and that it's my own responsibility to remain competitive and marketable.

[BGH]

GM agreed to terms in the contract that would ensure greater job security. A few weeks later they need to shut down a plant.

This is another example on how useless GM management is. Always signing off and paying for things they can't afford.

[K-1]

Originally Posted by ByTheLake

While there are never any guarantees, I've spent a huge chunk of my life getting three college degrees and continue to go through hundreds of hours of high-tech schooling annually to ensure that I have a fighting chance to remain employed. I firmly believe that nobody owes me a job and that it's my own responsibility to remain competitive and marketable.

Quoted for truth