skittet150

This is exactly what the UAW wants. Discontent in the transplants. Just because Toyota is doing it, doesn't mean that it is fair and right. There are alot of people who are pretty upset with the way they are being treated in those plants. And how about that, they give up alot, make alot of concessions, and Toyota still brings in 90 day wonders. Priceless!

I traded my F-150 Supercrew FX-4 for a Fusion. I hated to do it, but driving 80-90 miles round trip every day to work was killing me. I work for Ford, and try to promote my product whenever possible. But it is hard, I have 2 brothers who work for Chrysler, my father and father-in-law are GM retiree's, hell, I even have a brother who works as a contractor for VW! My best friends work for Bosch, and the other one has a brother who works for Chrysler. When one of my female friends looked at it (brother works for Chrysler) she had never even heard of a Fusion! And this was 4 months ago. She is on line alot, doesn't watch too much TV, listens to satalitte radio. I think the problem is how Ford is getting out the info. Many people are not into advertisements anymore. How many people do you know that TIVO thier shows so they can blow through the commercials, or watch DVD movies. There is your new multi-media target. And word of mouth is always going to be your best bet. And seeing how your drive-by media is never fair with the American auto companies, we are already fighting an uphill battle.

I think your missing the message a little, it isn't the one out of 669 that isn't buying a car. There are alot of people who have absorbed the increases in thier morgages, but have little money left to spend on other things. If they own a car and it is running, they are going to wait to update it. It's the people who really couldn't afford the 2.50 for gas, but now they are forced to pay 3.00, or the family who is seeing an increase in thier grocery bills. The subprime rates are devistating enough, but add in all the other increases in our everyday lives and you'll be able to see why auto sales are going down. And as a sign of compassion, instead of bashing on the people who took the A.R.M.'s, go easy on them. You can't blame people for wanting to live the sweet american dream when the banks were making it possible for them. I never did go with the A.R.M., thank God, but I know lots that did. These are the same people who helped with the housing construction. Pray for them now instead of bad mouthing them.

I am afraid that if the UAW gives in to the matching of trades whenever an outside contractor is in the plant will spell disaster for the trades. I am not at a large plant, I am at the protptype plant. We have never had the leverage like the big assembly plants have had. It has been impossible for us to get a one for one match when we have had jobs contracted out. It also has been hard to get a clear definition of "fully utilized". The management seems to think that it is 40 hours, we think otherwise. I think if the company is free from matching trades, it will be able to make the argument for trade reductions. If they can keep a small core of trades on the job for emergencies, they will. Right now, you have alot of talanted trades in the plants. Where I see the problem is management. They have no skill trades background. They have a degree in something, but it never has anything to do with trades. And why would these guys want to tackle the projects around the plant that they can just as easily farm it out. Makes thier lives much easier. When the job is done, two problems exhist. The first, they have no idea what they are looking at. Ford standards are never followed, and the job has been done as cheap as possible. Not always, but more times than they would care to admit. The second problem, the small group of trades left are expected to get it back right. Now this takes us away from our job assignments, such as PM's and shop coverage. How can this save the company money?

If people will remember, Clinton was boasting that he had cut thoudands and thousands of unnecessary government jobs. Jobs from the military. We depleated our forces so bad, it's any wonder we are in the shape we are in. I was in the Navy from 83-87, and I remember Reagans vision of a 600 ship Navy. Slick Willie cut that almost in half! Leave it to a democrat to cut our military, raise taxes, and create an illusion of prosperity. Everyone knows it was the Reagan tax cuts that helped out in the 90's, and it will be the Bush tax cuts that will keep our heads above water a little longer. What little suckass roague group would want to screw with the most powerful military on earth in the name of Alah? Thank God people are starting to see what a bunch of goofs the Dems are now. Approval rating is dipping worse that the Presidents. Publicly stating that a victory in Iraq would spell demise for thier party. How pathetic! I am only glad these idiots were not in office in WW2, we would all be speaking Japanese or German.

I couldn't agree with you more. Our bosses have no clue what the trades are about. We have people who are supose to be looking out for our health and safety, and they can't even interpet the Ford standards. Forget trying to find anybody with any knowledge on arc-flash. It has become necessary for anyone who has to use a lift, work at heights, repair overhead doors, or uss ECPL on the job to be as knowledgable as possible on the topic. There are supervisors that will ask you to do things that are against Ford regs, not because they sneaky and underhanded, but because they are plain ignorant! I have never heard of a supervisor telling a trades man that he does not need a ground guy to watch him while he is working in a scissor lift. Shouldn't that be up to the tradesman to make that call? He is the one who knows the dangers he is going to be exposed to.

I am looking for anybody who can give me any info on a general foreman from R&E by the name of Ron Steele. He is now a maintenance super at the Pilot Plant. He came in with an open mind, seemed like he would be good for the plant. Most are not feeling that way anymore. Any imput would be helpful.

I was just wondering what the time period was for a F350 that was ordered yesterday, 7-16 or 17, 2007? My buddy ordered one but was told that if it didn't arrive by Setp 1, he wouldn't be eligable for the incentives they are offering now. That is just slightly over 6 weeks.

I find it amazing that the UAW continues to throw thier support behind the Democrats, when they are the boneheads behing the new CAFE standards. I could really care less who people vote for, but don't expect me to vote a certain way just because I am a dues paying member. Keep politics out of it! And if you think for one second that I am going to heed the voice of one lard ass ex VP with nothing better to do than run jet around the country telling me I have to drive a more fuel efficient car, keep my heat lower, don't drink bottled water, and cut out all the things in my life that he seems to think are ok for him to do, your crazy. I hate it when a person decides to re-invent himself at the american public's expense. What a shame it is whenever a scientist comes out in opposition of the global warming theory. He is shamed in the media, looked upon like a kook. Global warming is exactly what the earth was scheduled to do. Want to drive a more fuel efficient car? They are out there, go buy one. But don't let government regulate what you drive. Last time I checked, that is the start of Communism.

I have an 04 FX-4, 5.4 liter, and it makes a whistling sound at a certain RPM when it is very cold outside. I wrote earlier about a belt noise when it is damp out. It goes away sooner or later. Sometimes it it will do it for the whole trip into work. Like I said, though, only at a certain rpm. Anybody else have that problem?

Well Done!

Don't know much about Jenna, but she seems like a go getter. I don't believe she will be here for very long though. Seems like people come to the pilot plant for a very short period of time, and leave for bigger and better places ( or retirement) and copilot, I was just gonna say............

Right, the other countries have it right. Like China, that lock up thier people in dorms for 6 days, force them to work, eat and sleep on the job site, let them go home for a day, and pay them wages that are pretty dispicable. Lets face it, it is turning into a global economy, where if a business owner wants to turn a profit and keep his share holders happy, he has to go over seas and buy parts from 3rd world countries where parts are either made by the people I spoke of above, or worse, children! This keeps stock prices, in your own 401k funds, on the incline, and it puts hard working americans out of jobs. This is not W's fault. This is everybody's fault who thougt NAFTA was a great idea, for all the people who stood by and watched the big 3 build cars in Mexico, for the big 3 itself who pushed peope to buy Japanesse cars in the 70's while they were building nothing but crap! And anybody who thinks that one man can single handedly lower the gas prices in a market where greed world demand dictates what we pay for oil products is pretty much smoking a big fat one. Get real, greed is why we are in the shape we are in. And FMC did fall asleep at the wheel, never investing in the future and being stuck behind the eight ball when the tides turned on the SUV market. Lots of people to blame, not just one man.

I saw a couple of them at the pilot plant getting prepped for the Detroit auto show. It is one bad ass truck.

I have a 2004 FX4 Supercrew with the 5.4, when it is wet out the belt really squeals until the engine is warmed up. I only have 27,000 miles on it. Is this something that needs to be looked at, or pretty common. Talked to another guy at work who has one, says his does the same.

No tool/die at pilot plant. Tool maker, machine repair, metal model makers, inspection, and all the other core trades

We had a meeting with a company called Right Management. They tell you that they would like to sit down with you to help explain what your options are. They do not make any recomendations, offer any employement, just look at your skills, what your strong points are. I am going next week, just to see what they have to say. I talked to some guys who said it is not really a waste of time. Will post after my meeting.

About the same for me too. But when it was all said and done, it is mine, and I can take pride in the fact that I did it with little help from the company. The union helped out, which is good. I just wish more people would get off thier dead asses and take it. I did it for the sole purpose of being prepared if I should lose my job in the future. I still may in the future. I am not going to take a buyout, will stay as long as I can. I will be eligable to take the Masters exam in a year, and I am sure I will have to do that without help from the company. Thank God for ETAP!

Very important to look into getting your state liscense if you already don't have it. Incourage your reps to seek our a master within your plant to sign for you. It was a struggle at our plant because we are so small (Pilot Plant), but we were able to do it. Only 2 guys took advantage of it. Company may not give you alot of support on it, but don't let that stop you. Our plant didn't pay us to go to the class to learn to take the test, but ETAP will pay for it. May take up some of your personal time, but well worth it. Guys in the Detroit area, if you are looking to take the test soon, I would strongly recommend you take Chuck Cossin's class. He is in Plymouth, and he is good.

Took the words right off my fingertips!

I cannot think of any place in the United States that would give an hourly worker the opertunity to take a severance package. Do you think Ford would have done if there was no UAW. No way in hell. The packages they are going to offer thier salery flat out suck, and the only 2 reasons they are giving those out is to keep an even image of fairness (the press and general public would chew them up if they didn't) and also if a salery guy takes a package he signs a no lawsuit agreement. I do not always agree with my union, but in all fairness, it is not thier fault for the current mess we are in. Cut them some slack! My Local Prez is eligable to take a package, but is not going to because he feels his membership voted him in to do a job and he is going to finish the job. He looked tired and wore out, and could easily throw his hands up and say screw it. But he doesn't. His job could be slightly easier if he didn't have to go up to HR to represent a member that can't get to work on time, or some of the many other silly little avoidable problems that come up through out the day.

Can't happen, she is from Canada.

I still remember her standing on the podium yelling how we got the Focus back at Wayne. She should have said what a slap in the face it was that they gave us that car only to make room in Mexico for the Fusion/Milan/Zehper. We needed that more than we needed the Focus.

Electrician, 5 years, Pilot Plant, going to hang on. Can take my Master Electrician test in winter of 07, have a kid with juv diabeties. 65g's after taxes just isn't that attractive as leaving with a Masters License and keeping my insurance for awhile longer. Had considered a buyout but we discovered he had the illness just last week. Wish all who go and stay the best of luck.