Latest Chrysler layoffs may cut Kokomo work

Chrysler's Kokomo manufacturing complex probably will get fewer transmission orders once the automaker reduces vehicle output and cuts as many as 11,000 more jobs in North America, a company official predicts.

[DougSmiley]

Automakers need to move away from manufacturing internal combustion engines with low MPG and start producing energy efficient light-weight vehicles such as hybrids. Gas prices are not coming back down.

[joe]

chrysler products are their downfall

[The MIGHTY One]

The 3 headed dog that guards the gates of Hell will bite, chew up and spit out the UAW.

[JBP]

This is what happens when a confrontational, predominately unskilled and overpaid workforce led by a corrupt union tries to flex its muscle on an unprofitable manufacturer.

It's not nice to wiz on your employer.

[Jim]

Greedy union scum are getting just what they asked for.

[Hancock County Native]

Hmmm.. The UAW strikes and Chrysler caves in (on paper). Now Chrysler is laying off workers. I wonder how many of those workers were that were for the strike wish they had their job back now?
Thanks UAW, you've just put a lot of people out of work.

[bush]

Hancock County Native wrote:

Hmmm.. The UAW strikes and Chrysler caves in (on paper). Now Chrysler is laying off workers. I wonder how many of those workers were that were for the strike wish they had their job back now?
Thanks UAW, you've just put a lot of people out of work.

Want some cheese with that wine.

[Loving Wife]

I don't understand the seething anger towards UAW workers? Is it the Union Leaders you hate or the Union workers? I am married to a very conservative Union worker who works very hard for a family he loves. I think that is very honorable. He voted "no" on this latest contract as did many others. His "no" vote wasn't due to greed....he couldn't stand the thought of working beside a person who would only make about half of what he does. The new workers will never have the opportunity to "merit" up to what the current workers make. My husband was will to take a pay cut and give more consessions so that they could be fair to the new hires, Union and company but that option was never given to the rank and file Union workers. It just seems unfair to me that you lump all Union workers together as lazy, selfish and greedy. My husband, and many other Kokomo, Chrysler are good Christian, hard working men with a strong work ethic.

[Why is this Happening]

What most of you are jealous of is the last of the "middle-class" in America. Thanks to corporate America and lazy people like you who won't fight for fair wages, UAW jobs are the last of the jobs that pay enough to support a family and have a decent life. My husband obtained his Masters while employed at Chrysler and countless others have improved themselves as well. There is a long-standing argument that the UAW makes cars more expensive....have you considered that foreign nameplates are just as or more expensive while paying a fraction of the wages the UAW gets for making vehicles? Overpaid? Have you even done factory work? I worked for a summer during college at Chrysler and it's hot, dirty, and tiring. No, that pay is about right. Maybe YOU are underpaid for your position so maybe we should all wake up and demand fair wages so we can continue to have a strong America with self-sufficiency. The gap between the haves & have-nots is widening and it's not slowing down.

[JBP]

Loving Wife wrote:

I don't understand the seething anger towards UAW workers? Is it the Union Leaders you hate or the Union workers? I am married to a very conservative Union worker who works very hard for a family he loves. I think that is very honorable. He voted "no" on this latest contract as did many others. His "no" vote wasn't due to greed....he couldn't stand the thought of working beside a person who would only make about half of what he does. The new workers will never have the opportunity to "merit" up to what the current workers make. My husband was will to take a pay cut and give more consessions so that they could be fair to the new hires, Union and company but that option was never given to the rank and file Union workers. It just seems unfair to me that you lump all Union workers together as lazy, selfish and greedy. My husband, and many other Kokomo, Chrysler are good Christian, hard working men with a strong work ethic.

I don't think UAW workers are lazy, selfish or greedy. I think they are misguided and mislead. I think the UAW is corrupt and continues to destroy the well-being of its members, its members employers and cities left in ruin when factories close.

If your husband was paid because of merit instead of seniority, I suspect he would earn an excellent wage. With a good working attitude and experience, why shouldn't he be paid more than a new hire, perhaps even a goldbricking new hire with a bad work ethic? That's one of the biggest problems with the UAW; they want everyone to earn the same regardless of skill, ability, attitude or worth to their employer. Those who excel are often called out for making “the rest of us look bad.” How does that promote hard work and a good attitude? The union’s entire power hold is based on confrontation and an “us vs. them” attitude. Those days are over. Your husband will probably lose his job eventually. I’m truly sorry.

[Andy]

You can be as anti union as you want or pro union. the bottom line is that in a free market economy the lowest price product gets bought. If chrysler cannot compete against Kia and toyota because the cost of producing the product is too high then Chrysler must stop producing the product. Maybe instead of being anti union or pro union people should urge the lawmakers to penalize any manufacturer either domestic or foreign who wants to import parts or product. Putting high tariffs on imports would give manufacturers an incentive to produce inside the united states.

[guess who]

Here is another issue, the UAW isn't middle class anymore.$14 an hour isn't. You can go to many many places and make more than that. The greedy UAW sold the middle class out with this last contract. I think new hires at toyota make more than that. Bottom line if the big 3 want to charge premium prices for their cars they have to have a premium product. Shareholders and CEO's are just like everyone else. GREEDY! Why do you think the UAW made the sales pitch of non core jobs at $14/hour. This destroys solidarity and everything.

[Stupid Trade Laws]

JBP wrote:

This is what happens when a confrontational, predominately unskilled and overpaid workforce led by a corrupt union tries to flex its muscle on an unprofitable manufacturer.
It's not nice to wiz on your employer.

No fool, this is the result of 1. Wall street greed. 2. Moronic management pushing gas guzzling SUvs instead of more marketable cars. 3. Inane beancounters who know the cost of everything and the value of nothing and, 4. Absurd 18th century trade laws that reflect our president's infantile belief that free trade with rogue communist nations somehow benefits us all.

[Loving Wife in Indiana]

JBP wrote:

<quoted text>
I don't think UAW workers are lazy, selfish or greedy. I think they are misguided and mislead. I think the UAW is corrupt and continues to destroy the well-being of its members, its members employers and cities left in ruin when factories close.
If your husband was paid because of merit instead of seniority, I suspect he would earn an excellent wage. With a good working attitude and experience, why shouldn't he be paid more than a new hire, perhaps even a goldbricking new hire with a bad work ethic? That's one of the biggest problems with the UAW; they want everyone to earn the same regardless of skill, ability, attitude or worth to their employer. Those who excel are often called out for making “the rest of us look bad.” How does that promote hard work and a good attitude? The union’s entire power hold is based on confrontation and an “us vs. them” attitude. Those days are over. Your husband will probably lose his job eventually. I’m truly sorry.

Thank you for your intelligent response. I appreciate that you seem level-headed and not full of hate.

You are right on many points about the Union as a whole….they often fight to keep ALL workers on the same level even when they don’t deserve it. Often they don’t truly represent what the majority of WORKERS want - only what is best for the UNION. I think the low approval rating on the last contract proved that.

On the other hand it has been proven time and time again that large corporations will make huge sums of money while causing harm to their employees. Profit at any price.

The checks and balances never seem to work out for all involved parties. I guess this is a consequence of man’s sinful nature. As a human race we seem to always push for as much as we can no matter if we deserve it or not…..whichever side of the fence/topic you are on.

[jobs leaving anyways]

some of what everyone is saying is whats happening ,( corporate greed , inept management , greedy employees ) some of it is the fact that GM has 450,000 retirees collecting benefits and only 75,000 workers paying for said benefits , Ford has similiar out of whack numbers as does Chrysler , it is what will happen to Social Security when all the boomers retire , only the Goverment can raise taxes to cover thier stupidity , GM etc., cannot.

The Japanese have no such thing , when you retire from a Japanese plant , you are not a liability , like you are at the big 3

[jobs leaving anyways]

to guess who

the new Honda plant right here in Indiana , starting wages are $14 a hour and in 2 years you max out at $18 a hour.

Cummins in Columbus , a skilled Tool and Diemaker have starting wages $16 a hour no matter how long you have been in the trade , and max of $20 a hour in like 4 years.

it is the wave of the future , race to the bottom , who can pay the lowest wages

[Johnnie Cochran]

So much for equal work for equal pay!!!

[jerry---slps]

I'm not sure what Loving Wife in Indiana is talking about.They often fight to keep ALL workers on the same level even when they don’t deserve it. The process is called collective bargaining. Collective bargaining pertains to every individual that falls into that category. Go to work as an "at will" employee. Yeah, the boss may single you as a great employee and pay you accordingly. In a union shop it levels the playing field to prevents management treating every employee diffently. The power of the union is when we (collectively)unite for fair and equal treatment.

[Loving Wife in Indiana]

jerry---slps wrote:

I'm not sure what Loving Wife in Indiana is talking about.They often fight to keep ALL workers on the same level even when they don’t deserve it. The process is called collective bargaining. Collective bargaining pertains to every individual that falls into that category. Go to work as an "at will" employee. Yeah, the boss may single you as a great employee and pay you accordingly. In a union shop it levels the playing field to
prevents management treating every employee diffently. The power of the union is when we (collectively)unite for fair and equal treatment.

Please don't get me wrong....I am all for collective bargaining!! My problem is when there are so few options presented. With this last contract I don’t feel the Union tried to “feel out” and do what the people they represent really wanted them to.

I also don’t feel that the Union should protect so many of the workers that will not come to work and are always late. I know that there are programs in place that are suppose to deal with these issues but the Union still seems to be able to keep these people’s jobs even after that employee has exhausted his/her days. The abuses still seem to go on even today.

I believe in the Union still. I believe it is still necessary. I have been involved in both side in the past - company labor and company owner - I still believe that without labor unions the company owners would profit at any cost.

[jerry---slps]

jerry---slps wrote:

I'm not sure what Loving Wife in Indiana is talking about.They often fight to keep ALL workers on the same level even when they don’t deserve it. The process is called collective bargaining. Collective bargaining pertains to every individual that falls into that category. Go to work as an "at will" employee. Yeah, the boss may single you as a great employee and pay you accordingly. In a union shop it levels the playing field to prevents management treating every employee diffently. The power of the union is when we (collectively)unite for fair and equal treatment.

ooopppsss : differently