[FenwickHockey65]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/06/01/no-camera-phones-allowed-gm-plant-electrician-fired-for-camaro/

Whenever you walk into an automaker's factory or engineering facility, there are signs prominently displayed letting everyone know that cameras and camera phones are prohibited. Unfortunately for an electrician at the General Motors Assembly plant in Oshawa, Ontario where the Camaro is due to begin production late this year he ignored the warning. Worse yet, he took some shots inside the body shop where pilot production units were making their way down the line and then showed them to his kids. The youngsters evidently extracted said photos and shared them with the world.

The electrician with 28 years of seniority has apparently now learned that those signs were not an empty threat. Even though there is nothing particularly secret about how car bodies are welded together or about how the new Camaro looks, GM and other manufacturers are serious about those policies. This employee who apparently just wanted show off a bit for his kids is now unemployed. Was it worth it? If you're going to whip out the camera phone, you might want to be a little more discreet about how you share the pics.

I'm going to have to remember to leave the camera phone in the car when I go to Bowling Green Assembly this Tuesday...

 

[jkennedy293]

Sucks to blow 28 years at a job over a couple of pictures.

 

[Mischief007]

Even at the GM plant I work at, the pilot room clearly states no pictures, no cameras, no cell phones. The area is also closed off.

 

[Bvonscott]

Now we know where those pics from last week came from. That guy should have covered it up or denied it.

 

[crooner214]

Now we know where those pics from last week came from. That guy should have covered it up or denied it.

How about "that guy shouldn't have taken those pics"...

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Just two years off from retirement...

 

[I-Love-Pontiac]

Which pictures were his?

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Which pictures were his?

The production pictures we saw a little while ago.

Crapp...I forgot to post the link.
Sorry.

 

[big swede]

I have some mixed feeling about this. On one hand I say good, set an example so we don't have leaks that can give the competition the heads up. On the other hand I say give me a break, 90% of the "leaks" are intentional and created 100% on purpose to create a buzz and get people talking about a particular product. The people working there know that so they didn't think the rules where really what they say they are.

I guess this is GM's way of saying we are the ones to control the "leaks" which is perfectly acceptable in a hypocritical sort of way.

 

[RamJet502]

GM needs to lighten up

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Seeing as how the Camaro's already been thoroughly overexposed, I don't think GM wants anyone to see and/or think about the car until it hits dealer lots.

 

[t-rex]

While it's sad that this man loses his job so close to retirement, he clearly took enormous risk by taking those snapshots. People need to accept their culpability.

 

[1931Chevy]

All I can say is that next time is better not to show pictures you took like something confidential of your work to your son and then let him show them to his friends because at the end you will end like this guy just because he wanted to show his son the new camaro in production

 

[JT87]

It's one thing if he took pictures of a bare body sitting on a stand somewhere... It's a totally different thing to take pictures of a 'secured' facility, in an area where they are building pilot shells, using new manufacturing architecture... There are signs everywhere stating 'no camera phones' in the plant, even on the regular assembly floor... It's more of a case of 'some guy took pictures of our private facilities, our new technologies, and our processes, even though the rules are clearly stated' than a situation like 'some guy took pictures of a partially built car, of which we already released near-production images of.'
Sucks to be him, but I would NOT want to be his kid or his kid's friends right about now, knowing that you got a friend's father fired for posting up pictures that you shouldn't have had in the first place :S

 

[Uzzy]

When I saw those pics, I thought to myself "someone is getting fired over this." Sucks to be him, but those are te rules. With 28 years experience, he knows that.

 

[Gixx]

CAW will have him back to work in no time.

 

[Uzzy]

CAW will have him back to work in no time.

Maybe, but I wouldn't count on it. Those were pictures of some pretty sensitive areas. They've probably contracted his job out already.

 

[ByTheLake]

Rules are rules, and "no cameras" means exactly that. The guy was a moron.

The funny thing, however, is that the pics really revealed nothing special. Just some bodies in various stages of construction. Still, I have no sympathy for the moron. If not this time, the next time he could have revealed something more damaging.

 

[mechgmguy]

with the news from last week... it looks like 19,001 people are now leaving gm...lol

 

[Uzzy]

Rules are rules, and "no cameras" means exactly that. The guy was a moron.

You haven't had much exposure to unions, have you? Especially the automotive unions.