nvsked

Sorry I thought based on some reply's people knew the process in assembly (kinda explains some of the comments)....Let me explain, a line worker has a station they work, no more than 5' x 5' in area (typically) all day long they put on a part or two (jobs are laid out by an Industrial Engineer I.E. for short) I have to put on these parts based on the process by the IE, they design a work station with the goal to be for an avg person to take 50 - 55 seconds to put on a part or two. With enough time to grab another part and repeat the process again on next unit ALL DAY LONG..... Make a repair!! No! I can't put on my part (50 seconds) and repair another process I have just enough time to put on my part and grab another..... Only have 50 seconds....If you build 75 vehicles an hour how much time is available to put on a part? .....If a part is made wrong (hole misaligned) line stops everybody knows when line stops.... Typically an operator cannot fix something because no time, the same reason I couldn't jump on fork truck to help out!!!! Nobody doing my job......we call this lean manufacturing

"They want the absolute lowest cost for the stuff THEY buy and they don't give a rats behind where it comes from " I disagree, I try to purchase American products when I can. but it almost impossible to find American made products, due in part to trade treaties that have decimated our manufacturing base .... Supply and demand, less jobs, people forced to accept what they can get, now some of the people working at walmart can't afford to shop there. The 8 million jobs lost since the start of our current recession are not coming back (entirely) in my opinion its more of a market correction, brought about in part by the short sighted trade pacts. "As for collective bargaining - that's ok as long as there are no extortion tactics such as threatening to strike over wages and benefits and no restrictive contracts that handicap the company's ability to compete" Collective bargaining is not extortion.....I don't get that!! A group of workers together with a company agree to a labor pact, and its extortion.....A group of manufacturers, politicians, and foreign countries come together form a trade deal but this is ok.......Free market conditions.....I disagree, and current employment conditions suggest we are in the midst of a market correction.....housing, taxes, employment etc brought about by by artificial market conditions (Trade pacts) "Back to the original question - if you want to keep plants open then make it financially feasible for the company to keep it open" If we want to see how low the market will go, we need a new trade pact to attack material cost. Happy Holidays enjoyed the debate

Scripted Roles are determined by the process i.e. units start in body and progress through the various departments based on the vehicle being built, typical rotation is body, paint, trim etc. I don't understand the animosity, production is set up in teams and jobs rotate within a group, but a trim team person isn't going to jump on a fork truck because its not their role........Fork truck people require medical clearance to operate the machine, training and a license, so unfortunately its not their job, and you could get fired for operating illegally.... A repair person in pre-delivery is accountable for repairs, so it a pan gasket needed to be tightened its the repair person assigned to that area (scripted role) responsible for the repair....... Just like an electrician doesn't start making programing changes to an automated cell without the ok from automation engineer....(scripted role) Not throwing stones, just explaining the roles... The level of accountability has changed considerably in the plants....quarterback has to make the throw, and its the receiver's role to make the catch, the coach called the play.

Which rules specifically .... please define bad worker? Seriously I'm lost what a bad worker is, our roles are carefully scripted now by IE's, JSA's not any wiggle room, ...lean manufacturing. As to the rest of your comments http://rationalrevolution.net/articles/capitalism_wages.htm We often see "capitalism" defined as a system based on the private ownership of the means of production. Capitalism is about much more than this however. One of the major defining features of capitalist economy is the use of wage-labor and the existence of labor markets. Understanding the role of labor markets in capitalism is critical, and this is best achieved by understanding the historical development of capitalist economy. What sets prices of labor under capitalism? The same system that sets prices. Not any particular businessman, but the free-market. It is competition between businesses for labor that pushes wages up; it is competition between laborers that pushes wages down….. The result of capitalism is that labor went from being seen as the source of property rights to being a commodity, and instead capital ownership became seen as the source of rights to newly created property. With the capitalist system, labor is a commodity, no different than raw materials. It's one more thing that capitalists factor into their budget as a part of the cost of production. Just like other raw materials, the price of labor becomes market driven. Labor markets and other commodity markets are two separate and distinct markets. By separating the cost of labor from the value of labor, capitalists are able to increase profits. Profits are generated in part by the difference between the cost of labor and the value that the labor has created….. The members in the partnership evaluate the justice of their compensation not on market principles, but on the perceived value of their relative contributions…..This type of evaluation is an attempt, by the parties involved, to match compensation with contribution. This difference in types of compensation, market determined vs. contribution determined, is critical to understanding capitalism. What capitalists try to do is promote competition in the labor markets and limit competition in the commodity markets, which of course is why industry is opposed to collective bargaining. Today's neoclassical economic view simply calls this "good business practice", or "entrepreneurial ability".....An important method of increasing the discrepancy between labor markets and commodity markets is the fragmentation of labor markets across trading boundaries and regions, such as between nations and across currency boundaries.. Capitalists seek to maintain the ability to hire wage laborers across boarders, while limiting markets within boarders. In this way consumer markets are more restricted than labor markets, leading to relatively higher prices for goods at a lower cost of labor to produce those goods. This is really what so-called post-modern "free trade" is all about. Free trade, as it was initially envisioned by men like John Locke and Adam Smith, was about the freedom of merchants to exchange goods with merchants in other regions that had commodities and raw materials that were not available locally, without having to pay taxes and tariffs to kings just to be able to do business. Today, however, what is really being traded is not goods, but labor. American companies mainly want "free trade" with other countries, not because they have things that we don't have, but because they want access to "cheaper labor". It's not just about gaining access to "cheap labor", however, it is also about labor market fragmentation and the separation of labor markets from commodity markets. So, my access to Chinese-made goods, directly at Chinese prices, is virtually impossible as an American consumer, but American capitalists do not have these restrictions and in fact work through the American government to ensure that there is an imbalance of restriction placed on consumers so that American consumers can only get access to products through "official" avenues of trade. The UAW is just representing a collective group of Americans working towards fairness in the global economy,...... It's not free trade,it's fair trade. My 2 cents..... Have a great discussion

Your post are as ridiculous as your screen name. I mean please point out "the facts and history" that has been posted.......All you've done, is agree with an opinion shared by another poster, well since we are in the process of sharing opinions, stupid is as stupid does, so run forest ...run Most of what you post should not even be dignified with a response .....Brainwashed Dodo Bird...Oh hell I quit being nice You're about a dumb Moral Fiber MF'er for short

The global Ranger is about 90 percent of the size of today’s F-150 half-ton, Ford says i.e. flexible bodyshop..... changes needed to run units in US minimal investment I'm sure I've seen units run through existing tooling with little fanfare

Too Funny.....Just a side note, the company went to great lengths to reduce non core trades.......core trades were identified as electrician, pipefitter, M/W, M/R, welder, etc 23 core trades from like 300...I mean they red circled Blacksmith.....damn it.....anyway they reduced classifications. So then they come back with labor clearances stating they are bringing in outside contractors, and on the clearance they've identified people they are bring in like 4 programmers, or ironworkers, or operator........... Now they got rid of these all non core trades, but they want to bring in vendors under the heading of the non core trades they got rid of....... And! to justify it they say well Ford doesn't have this trade!!! Yeah BECAUSE YOU SAID THEY WERE NOT RELEVANT TO AUTOMOTIVE OPERATIONS AND GOT RID OF THEM......NOW YOU WANT TO BRING IN CONTRACTORS TO REPLACE JOBS THAT WERE PREFORMED BY Bargaining unit employee's.......... a hello......Grievance just my 2 cents

Union reps can provide electronic copies of the agreement....or ford fanatics forum or soldiers of solidarity FFF & SOS has copies of white pages and again you might want to try local representation.....it is their job

QUIT EXPRESSING OPINION AND READ THE CONTRACT............ SKILLED CLASSIFICATION CONSOLIDATION PLACEMENT PROCESS The parties agree that in the event issues arise that the local parties are unable to resolve, the issue may be appealed by either party to the National Joint Skilled Trades Governance Team through the National Ford Department Servicing Representative or Division Labor Relations. Lastly, overtime equalization agreements should be the subject of local discussions. Very truly yours, BILL DIRKSEN, Executive Director U.S. Labor Affairs Concur: Bob King November 3, 2007 Mr. Bob King Vice President and Director UAW, National Ford Department 8000 East Jefferson Avenue Detroit, Michigan 48214 SKILLED TRADES CLASSIFICATION CONSOLIDATION Dear Mr. King: Subject: Skilled Trades Classification Consolidation During the 2007 negotiations, the parties agreed to substantially reduce the number of skilled trades classifications in order to establish a classification structure closer to automotive industry competitive levels. Implementation of the skilled trades classification consolidation encompasses the following: Machine Repair (all the classifications below are consolidated into M/R classification) Hydraulic & Machine Repair (Lima) Machine Repair Machine Repair - Project Coordinator Machine Repair - Woodhaven Machine Repair Appr Machine Repair Ldr Machine Repair Leader Machine Repair Woodhaven-Team Leader Machine Repair-Wayne ISA - Mech Umb Machine Repair-Wayne ISA - Mech Umb - Project Coordinator Machine Repair Specialist Machine Repair Specialist Leader Team Member Mechanical Team Member Mechanical Apprentice Wayne ISA Machine Repair Mech Umbrella Team Leader Any variation from what was negotiated is wrong and subject to grievance procedure

RE: Ranger - Well I do remember a couple years back ....a trial build with new components it was (if memory serves me) coded as a F-100 it was exact duplicate of a F-150, the difference being the bed was aluminum with re-enforced substructure (gel expanded during paint bake) ....whether or not this concept is on going remains to be seen but I could see a lite weight F-100 with say 4cyl eco-boost having potential...just sayin

Try reading the UAW Constitution ....... ARTICLE 19 Contracts and Negotiations SECTION 3 (1) Separate Ratification Rights for Skilled Trades Where separate ratification rights have been approved for skilled trades, only skilled tradespersons may vote in such contract ratification meetings for skilled trades. (Black Lake, 6/10/71, Pages 276-277.)

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/1163998/are_we_platos_cave_people.html When Plato wrote of democracy, Republics, and good governance, he issued many dire warnings about the quality not only of governance, but of life itself, when the people are 'in the dark'. In his cave analogy, an entire people is sequestered in a cave and all they know of life on the outside, in the light, is what puppetmasters convey to them by making shadows on the wall from a distant fire. The puppet masters live out in the big, open world and have access to light and to real life. Their power resides in the reality that those inside the cave know nothing of life on the outside. The masters can convey real events, or they can distort them to suit their purposes (perhaps to keep the people enslaved and ensconced in the cave). The ultimate tyranny is propaganda. It robs the 'people', the cave dwellers of perspective and real knowledge. Propaganda shadows, quite literally, their everyday thinking.

It's not personal, its business.... unfortunately, transplants, stem cells etc are not covered the bright side hospice care usually is

agree! +100 :grouphug: :beerchug: I'm not for raising taxes, and I'm not going to bash Bush anymore it's pointless but I do expect congress to get serious and start addressing the issues facing the country (bi-partisan) and spending has to be addressed (which by the way is what health care was about) and worrying about 2012 election is not going to help address the issues at hand...Good work will speak for itself...just sayin

get a handicapped thing for your mirror.....you see everything parked in those spots, which I disagree with

Hey it's great hearing about all the political BS going on at Van Dyke but you should really start your own thread like Political BS 101 VD or have all the supporters meet in the parking lot and have a tug-o-war or bean bag toss......good luck

agree

Rachel is right on point, I've been saying this for a while. OK what's the republican plan, I never hear it. It's a page out of Nancy Regan's war on drugs. Just say NO to everything, gridlock, OK then what's the plan, this is where everything gets fuzzy, But, I can tell you this, read my lips, NO NEW TAXES, and we are not going to cut defense spending, yada yada. We are not going to single payer health, and save on subsidies to insurance companies, lower medicare cost etc We can't cut defense spending. We can't shrink government salaries (politicians) etc etc ....so what then, what is the plan from all these fiscal conservatives.

Agree we need a new set of lobbyist to buy an election at least we can make them spend huge sums to buy the election, it could be our own little stimulus plan can't wait til the next election....we can start a web site electorialcollege4sale.org this could be huge

It doesn't matter who is in office! Do you realize how much it cost to get elected, and why lobbyist play a key role... MONEY...AND the supreme court made it legal. We have foreign countries and special interest buying our elections....It doesn't matter who is in Washington, they owe they're soul to the group that got them elected. All they have to do is provide a 30 second sound bite about god, guns, and no new taxes the special interest will take care of the rest. Deficit ..... less jobs... less paying in and 15% of $ 7.00 is a lot less than 28% of $25.00 factor in stimulus programs and medicare shortages, gee any wonder the deficit is growing. It doesn't matter who is in Washington the model is broken.........

+1

Some of what you see at MAP maybe 2 fold....Ford is still negotiating a local agreement at MAP (south) and I wouldn't be surprised if production doesn't transfer completely until mid January assuming local agreement is reached. Things get sluggish in US plants January holidays and all

Motion on the floor to stop all trade deals...we need someone to second the motion on the floor

I've heard from reliable sources that a potential delayed job 1 exist ....delay of just couple weeks, new equipment or something....... but everything in a launch process is subject to change... suppliers etc You can bet the units coming off the line will be a 100% its been refreshing...gone are the drama days surrounding a launch Good luck MAP

Sorry when I hear "the message" I see it as... if you repeat the story often enough you'll believe it yourself"... my opinion....really a turn off, and yes Mulally did use it on Matt. But I see the interview that Mulally did on NBC as pay back.....Hey Ford, you spend enough money on air time and we'll do an interview, allow you to really get your message out. Mulally and Farley have done a great job using the media to get our message out. Republicans, Business,...Status Quo....I agree that's what the business community want's....Unfortunately, the US has 308 million people (tax payers) , so every decision coming out out of washington cannot be for just business....Likely to hire, NOW THAT'S FUNNY all the trade deals have taken manufacturing out of the U.S. unless Washington's opinion on Treaties" changes..... manufacturing job creation is not coming back .....our unemployment numbers entire US are just the beginning, in another 30 years .......for every manufacturing job lost it affects 5 more.......not going to bore you that discussion ..... We we'll really see deficits then (less people paying in) Glad you're happy with Cigna ...........Personally I hope never to go to the doctor, unfortunately, age has it's maintenance issues have a good one