Bob Rosadini
-
Posts
4,320 -
Joined
-
Last visited
-
Days Won
9
Content Type
Profiles
Forums
Gallery
Downloads
Store
Posts posted by Bob Rosadini
-
-
12 hours ago, Andrew L said:
I went out for drinks with my neighbors. Me and one of them are big car guys and we started talking about the UAW and what they are demanding and the strikes. One of the neighbors (who is not a car guy really unless it's a Prius) piped up and said it's really simple to fix this by cutting the CEOs pay and using that money to cover the costs that they need to give all the workers their demands. I had to break down to him how that wouldn't work but he refused to listen to me and kept saying the CEO needs to lose their salary to fix this.
You did infer he drives a Prius right? Case closed..while not all "Prius Owners" think alike, a good clue as to how many of them think?
-
2
-
-
On 10/10/2023 at 12:06 PM, GearheadGrrrl said:
Lockout, fire and replace the strikers, etc. are tactics from an era of labor surpluses that won't work now. Volvo truck's other plant in Virginia voted down the contract a couple of times, workers are tired of Volvo treating them like second class autoworkers and Volvo's attempts to outsource chassis trimming and move medium duty assembly to a new non union plant have just made them madder.
Uh..I think that is the point. they are not "autoworkers" . The competition in heavy trucks is a bit different than the "car" business. I think every other class 8 builder has a Mexican facility. When Ford sold the class 8 business to Daimler they kept class 6 and 7 and were building them in Ford's Cautilan (sp?) Mexico plant. Then in 04 the Bluediamond JV was formed with Navistar and production shifted to Navistar's Mexican plant. Not sure what year, but in one of the prior negotiations..8 yrs ago?...Ford agreed to bring class 6 and 7 production back to the US..OAP. Clearly that was a "bone" thrown to UAW.
But I think I Fain is ignoring, that Mack is completely at risk as a stand alone entity. If ever a case where the term "synergy" applies, it is when you look at the Volvo -Mack relationship.. Again, you can bet their is a faction in the HQ in Sweden that says.."maybe now it is time to grab the savings that a consolidation of the two brands makes sense. It has happened too many times in the heavy truck industry. Sterling-the original Sterling not the rebadged Fords of late, Reo, Diamond T, Diamond Reo, WhiteGMC...all these managements had read the same book.
And TT, to pull a quote from you on Saturday....".once a contract offer is presented, as a member of said negotiations committee, I am duty bound to present the offer in a positive manner (some would say "selling it") and if I did not and instead told my members that it sucked, I would be charged with bargaining in bad faith. " you are 100% correct as I pointed out relative to Fain's comments when the Mack membership vetoed it big time. The UAW reached an agreement. You can bet your ass that settlement was run by Fain and he concurred.
Then when the members turn it down, he is giving them high fives! Absolute bullshit.
The guy is a showboat . When it comes to the battery plants, think of it. Ford is building these expensive plants here and for years, will probably still be dependent of China for much of the raw materials...and if not China, some other third world country. And Fain can't or won't recognize that perhaps, at this time he probably should be thinking about doing everything he can to get this buisness going here. In the long term he will have plenty of time them to sell his union to the workers. But he can't see that..and of course Mary Barra hasn't helped the situation either.
Oh and Gearhead, don't forget there is much that still can be automated...when the labor economics make more automation cost effective.
-
50 minutes ago, fuzzymoomoo said:
Im honestly surprised none of the 3 companies has gone to the NLRB over some of the rhetoricI don't think the NLRB has much objectivity these days if everything I have read is correct.
-
3
-
-
10 minutes ago, Bob Rosadini said:
Well the Mack UAW contract talks were going well and a tentative agreement was reached subject to ratification..
Today was announced the rank and file turned it down by a big margin. I guess the wild numbers on the table for the big three clouded the Mack workers vision....Not exactly an apples to apples industry..and a lot of Mack's competitors have plants south of the border.
Anyway this was Fain's reaction............
"I'm inspired to see UAW members at Mack holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it," Fain said via statement.
Keep in mind the deal was endorsed by the UAW International and the UAW Mack Truck Council...not sure what the "Truck Council" is.
My guess the group that handles the rest of the class 7-8 builders-who are familiar with south of the border plants.
Now usually it seems to me whenever a deal was taken back to the membership, and the members rejected it, most union responses would be words to the effect..."We regret that the membership rejected what your bargaining team considered to be a fair offer, however we will return to the table to pursue a better offer.
Not Fain though
Bit of history-when Mack owned Brockway, after a few years, Brockway was using Mack cabs..long story short, Brockway's sole plant in Cortland NY, in contract negotiations rejects company offer. Mack says .."no problem" And shuts the operation down. And Brockway was always a tough regional cpmpetitor to Mack. End of that problem. Not suggesting conditions are the same today..But Mack is owned by Volvo. Volvo has a huge plant in VA. Mack/Volvo powertrains are basically the same . Many say Mack's days are number....one day some guy in Sweden says..."why do we have these duplicated staffs etc etc.? History of the trucking industry is filled with similar stories.
Make that.."days are numbered"
-
Well the Mack UAW contract talks were going well and a tentative agreement was reached subject to ratification..
Today was announced the rank and file turned it down by a big margin. I guess the wild numbers on the table for the big three clouded the Mack workers vision....Not exactly an apples to apples industry..and a lot of Mack's competitors have plants south of the border.
Anyway this was Fain's reaction............
"I'm inspired to see UAW members at Mack holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it," Fain said via statement.
Keep in mind the deal was endorsed by the UAW International and the UAW Mack Truck Council...not sure what the "Truck Council" is.
My guess the group that handles the rest of the class 7-8 builders-who are familiar with south of the border plants.
Now usually it seems to me whenever a deal was taken back to the membership, and the members rejected it, most union responses would be words to the effect..."We regret that the membership rejected what your bargaining team considered to be a fair offer, however we will return to the table to pursue a better offer.
Not Fain though
Bit of history-when Mack owned Brockway, after a few years, Brockway was using Mack cabs..long story short, Brockway's sole plant in Cortland NY, in contract negotiations rejects company offer. Mack says .."no problem" And shuts the operation down. And Brockway was always a tough regional cpmpetitor to Mack. End of that problem. Not suggesting conditions are the same today..But Mack is owned by Volvo. Volvo has a huge plant in VA. Mack/Volvo powertrains are basically the same . Many say Mack's days are number....one day some guy in Sweden says..."why do we have these duplicated staffs etc etc.? History of the trucking industry is filled with similar stories.
-
1
-
-
Well to close out this thread, I bit the bullet and traded the 22 on a new 23...same truck except 3.73's and E Lock. Oh and a 36 gal tank and "Avalanche" or gray as Mass MV calls it or "dirty snow" as I call it because it does not show dirt. And while hiway mpg might be a tad lower, the around town is no different as I drive with a light foot and it upshifts a bit quicker than the 3.31's did. At least that is my perception.
Thanks everyone for your comments.
-
1
-
-
On 10/5/2023 at 8:15 PM, fuzzymoomoo said:
Yep. The dog and pony show continues. Freaking enough already. Give us something to vote on FFS.
It’s incredibly stupid I can only say this here where I have anonymity or to my closest friends.
That is a sad statement. Unfortunately I think you have to do all you can to educate what I can only describe as those who fail to realize that their employer is in business to make a profit and stay competitive-not to provide jobs. And as I previously pointed out, I initiated and "sold" a two tier contract by pushing the point that we would have no trouble getting applicants when we needed drivers. "As long as there are faces pressed against the door looking in, two tiers would work". ( It's the economy stupid") And by the way, the two tier employees would ultimately reach parity with the existing employees. There was always light at the end of the tunnel..it was just a bit dimmer.
I think Ford's big mistake was running the program with unrealistic progression scales. Its one thing when a person thinks of the senior guy whose locker is next to his, is at top pay and he has to wait 48 mos to get there. His memory still remembers where he came from. But if he is waiting 72 mos...at some point he DOESN'T remember where he came from.
Hang in there Fuzzy.
-
2
-
-
14 hours ago, twintornados said:
Amazing that this thread is still going strong over 10 years on!! Thank you @Joe771476 for starting one of the most compelling threads on BON
TT..for sure..and Joe can never be accused of drinking the corporate Kool-Aid?
-
2
-
-
Back to the impact of a very high cost settlement that leaves the "big three" at a very big disadvantage to the non union producers.
I wonder if the big three are already working on just how they can reduce manpower. Watching You Tube videos I'm amazed at what I see in terms of automation. I've only been through 3 assembly plants in my life...KTP when they were cranking out class 7,8's saw very little "automation" certainly not to degree that exists today. Dearborn after the rebuild and I'm sure there is a lot more now. Mack Macungie...several times..truly an "assembly Plant"-and the last time about 3 or 4 years ago-I'm sure they have made improvements since then.
But what may have been cost prohibitive before when it comes to automation, all of a sudden may now be cost effective. Also is it possible to expand outsourcing to produce more sub assemblies? While Ford refuses to add Cummins engines and Allison transmissions to medium duties as that would have a negative impact on Power Stroke-Torque Shift economics, perhaps the new cost structure will force more outsourcing.
From a quality perspective I think that would be counter to efforts to reduce warranty costs but out of control labor costs may dictate a fresh approach to a lot of things.
-
On 9/29/2023 at 5:09 PM, jpd80 said:
I get the feeling that Ford will be first with a deal and that GM and Stellantis are still miles off.
So do we think that the eventual Ford contract will be the template that the others use?
Agree..as I said a few days ago..Fain thought he was holding a lot of cards by striking all three instead of a target to set the contract as in the past. So he thought he would not have a pattern settlement and guess what...I think it will be as close to a pattern as you can get.
-
1 hour ago, GearheadGrrrl said:
M2s were always plasticy, got assigned a rental M2 one night around 2007 and couldn't find a power socket or even some bare metal to attach a ground clamp to so I could hook up my radios. As for the "pickup truck feel", that's scary- A big truck should let you know that you have to drive it with respect for it's high center of gravity and skinny tires!
Wait, I thought that was a negative as far as Fords go??
But again, have no fear, you won't see Ford do anything to improve their position...too busy getting ready for Formula One.
Cost for that will make Nascar budget look like a bargain I would bet. But one of my sons tells me there are a lot of people in US that are big F-1 fans. Unfortunately I would imagine they mostly drive Bimmers...Leased of course
PS Did see a heavy 750 today ..Big contractor utility bucket truck with a couple of cable spools on it . The two big dogs around here- National Grid and Eversource seem to be using a lot of contractors. And you will them along side the utility crews on the same major street project.
-
2 hours ago, jasonj80 said:
Is it possible; yes, can it be done in even a remotely reasonable way; No, the hours you need to invest; performance improvement plans, rehabilitation plans, time off schedule etc. it has to be followed perfect or you start over. Should there be some protections absolutely but what is in contracts now is insane. Its easer to stick people in a corner or desk than go though the process.
Been traveling a lot the past 2 weeks and the feeling I'm getting is disastrous for this strike long term. 1/2 the people are in the companies should give them their demands for fair compensation; they work hard and deserve that you can't live on $20 a hour(I know that's not the pay most get but some some that is the perception) . F them and I'm not buying their products to send a message they should treat their employees better. The other half are F those workers they live on another planet striking for a 32 hours a week, full pension, 40% raise is BS they shouldn't make double of Teachers, Nurses and Public Safely workers. They put bolts on. I'm not buying their product let them join the unemployment line and see what a real job is like.
In the end - no one buys the product and everyone is out of a job. Worse politicians are getting involved which will only enrage people to not buy products because they hate X so X = company/employee and I'm not supporting that.
I have a very bad feeling that the effects from this will be felt for decades and perception of both the workers and the companies which will result in lost buyers from both sides. I was already seeing some early indications this is the beginning of another lost decade in Michigan where companies will invest elsewhere because of political and recruitment issues in the State, add labor unrest and you can be sure those companies will invest elsewhere. Real or Not.Hope you are wrong on the "decades" piece but it can't help keeping prospective buyers loyal to Ford, GM etc. In particular when you hear for example the Toyota ads that stress "longest lasting, full service for a year blah blah. I am a loyal Ford guy who grew up in a family where the cars, trucks and tractors were Fords...and I've instilled that in my two sons who have never bought anything but Fords. But think of the generations that have NOT grown up in loyal Ford, GM, Mopar households. There are too many in that category that don't have that ingrained loyalty and I fear both the companies and the UAW will suffer as people say "enough".
-
2 hours ago, rperez817 said:
And employees have the right to organize into labor unions, engage in collective bargaining, and take collective action such as strikes.
I don't think anyone has posted anything to the contrary or did I miss that? I think Mr Fain ignores the word "bargaining". When I first became involved in bargaining more years ago than I want to acknowledge, unions presented "Demands"..at least they did in the unions I was involved with. Over the years the term "demands" gave way to "proposals".For sure Fain would have been at home 50 years ago. Another interesting "style" Mr Fain has...if I read correctly he was at an open meeting and a dues payer said words to the effect "we want a 32 hour work week.. He could have responded ..."you mean a 4 day 10 hr schedule?" He didn't , but rather indicated something like..."I believe we can add that".
Recognizing that both sides of the table would have "throw away" proposals, the key was IMO they should always be feasible and not be completely unrealistic. Fain put himself out on a limb with so many of his "demands", and now management has to skillfully get him off of that limb without embarrassing him.
As If said before and IMO...best settlement is one in which neither side can claim they were the winner.
-
2
-
-
14 hours ago, iamweasel said:
Freightliner and PACCAR will be offering the new Cummins Gas B6.7/7.2 variant starting in 25CY - with Allison transmissions - so I'd be really nervous about that if I was Ford. Ford had the luxury of being the only game in town when it came to Class 6-7 gas motors but now others are joining the party, with a more sought after transmission, too. The Cummins B6.7/7.2 will go up to 300-350HP / 660 torque which is plenty for that class.
Cummins even claims the gas variant will have the same B50 life as the diesel. If true that is pretty groundbreaking, but that certainly defies conventional logic regarding engine life ratings between gas and diesel.
Key question..if it is derived from 6.7, I would have to imagine it will be priced accordingly.
For the savy buyer, that won't be that much of an issue if the B-50 claim is true. By the way what is the B-50 Number??
-
9 hours ago, Deanh said:
CAFE stopgap...so yes...
Agree ..as I've said many times..electrification makes sense..but at a measure pace . But for sure not at the politically driven pace that shows no concern for what the majority wants or can afford.
-
4
-
-
6 hours ago, jpd80 said:
I think your latter view is correct, Ford now realises that rollout of BEVs is going to be a lot slower than Ford’s public BEV timetable. Looks like Ford and Farley got caught up in its own hype and now realises that sales growth is much slower now that early adopters have moved on from Mach E and Lightning.
............And for the foreseable future (the big question-"foreseable" is 5yrs? 10 yrs?) hybrids make the most sense???
-
4
-
-
33 minutes ago, 7Mary3 said:
I think Cummins will be in a pretty good position with their 'fuel agnostic' engines for class 7 and 8.
Probably but I'm sure it will be at a big premium to the7.3 or a big block GM-or however that is that buildfs a clone..there is one correct?
-
1 hour ago, 7Mary3 said:
I noticed in some other threads that it was mentioned Ford is notifying the UAW that they are planning a significant increase in 7.3L production. Again, probably related to increasingly stringent diesel emissions regulations. I see more gasoline powered medium duty trucks.
Correct on the increased 7.3 production. Again, any clue how big the class 6 and 7 markets are in CA and OR. CA must be huge. So all the players in those states will need a capable gas power plant. Someone will be a big winner I would imagine.
-
48 minutes ago, akirby said:
Making unreasonable demands and refusing to meet with automakers sounds like bad faith bargaining to me.Plus I believe they refused to offer any counter proposals. I think that does constitute "bad faith".
Now we are hearing "progress" which I interpret to me their has been some give and take.
-
On 9/21/2023 at 1:33 AM, 7Mary3 said:
I suspect it's because of the transmission. No Allison in the OAP trucks. I think the Torq-Shift transmissions are limited when it comes to P.T.O.'s. We had 'Blue Diamonds' with the 3000 World transmissions in them. But really, I don't think Ford cares about the specialized vocational end of the class 6 and 7 market.
That too but I still say there are plenty of vocational buyers in CA-and Oregon-who want a conventional class 6/7 but as they are forced to go with gas, will still want air brakes...my broken record speach...like the contractor who uses a 6-8 yd dump and pulls a loader back hoe or the tree guy who pulls a big tracked skid steer etc etc. How many class 6/7 trucks are registered in California? Probably more than in the 6 New England states combined I would guess.
-
2 hours ago, GearheadGrrrl said:
Ford is playing this well- By making progress in negotiations they've set the terms of the contracts GM and Stelantis will have to agree too, but without the expense and disruption of a larger strike. Ford has figured out that inflation is raising the wage floor, may as well go along with UAW's reasonable demands and avoid the drama GM and Stelantis are inviting.
Which instead of setting a target strike company that was the usual in "pattern" , Mr. Fsain thought he would inflict pain on all three with strategic targets.
Guess what...looks like the end result will be a "pattern" settlement.
-
2 hours ago, T-dubz said:
Why is the NLRB not investigating the union? Seems to me they are the ones not bargaining in good faith.
Because the NLRB is populated by Obama Cheerleaders
-
3 hours ago, fuzzymoomoo said:
Well well well, it seems we’re being used as pawns.
https://www.axios.com/2023/09/22/uaw-strike-automakers-operational-chaos-fain-leaked-messages
This GM statement says it all and Ford and Stellantis have similar views;
- The statement added that the leaked information "calls into question who is actually in charge of UAW strategy and shows a callous disregard for the seriousness of what is at stake. UAW leadership needs to put the interests of its members and the country over their own ideological and personal agendas."
Hopefully the UAW membership has the smarts to recognize...what is reasonable,? and when is someone building what he perceives as his "brand".
-
1
-
2 hours ago, akirby said:
I watched my wife go through this bidding for jobs in the 90s. You must first be “qualified” for the job then it goes by seniority. However, the qualifications were just the bare minimum to do the job. Performance or skill was never a consideration because “all my people do good work all the time” and all workers are the same. So the end result was that seniority was the only real factor. Had she been in a non union job she would have gotten 2 or 3 promotions based on performance in that timeframe.That was not the way our contracts were. Any one could bid an opening. Then seniority would prevail..but "Most senior qualified"...and it worked but at times over a grievance =that would go to various levels.
-
1
-
UAW Demands 46% Pay Hike
in Ford Motor Company Discussion Forum
Posted
How true that is. Plus how many of the younger generation grew up in a household that was a "Ford, GM or Mopar" household??? My bet is most of them under 30 did not. The brand loyalty factor that I grew up with doesn't exist. It exists with my sons..and daughter in laws in particular- as it is a matter of staying in the will?