Richard Smith Posted December 4, 2005 Share Posted December 4, 2005 (edited) Mr. Ford, I care about the future of Ford. I frequently dream that I still work there only to wake up and find out I don't. Please visit the "Ford Employee Retiree Network" part of the BlueOvalForums. Can someone at Ford begin a dialog with the vast creative base of retired Ford employees? Or should we just let our Pensions be eaten away by inflation, gradually degrade our lifestyle, do less with less and eventually not be able to "afford a Ford"? We want to be Part of the Solution not Part of the Problem!!!!!!!!! Edited December 4, 2005 by Richard Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Mr. Ford, I care about the future of Ford. I frequently dream that I still work there only to wake up and find out I don't. Please visit the "Ford Employee Retiree Network" part of the BlueOvalForums. Can someone at Ford begin a dialog with the vast creative base of retired Ford employees? Or should we just let our Pensions be eaten away by inflation, gradually degrade our lifestyle, do less with less and eventually not be able to "afford a Ford"? We want to be Part of the Solution not Part of the Problem!!!!!!!!! so you didn't plan for your retirement and now you want more money Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dfs Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 so you didn't plan for your retirement and now you want more money That is a silly response. Perhaps you were trying to be funny. Richard, we need a secure site like we used to have on the employee network, retiree section. That way what we have to contribute won't be seen by competitors. Too bad they killed it, but it was rarely used! I believe Ford executives hold grass roots meetings with some retiree groups around the country. Not sure if there are any suggestions that have merit or if it turns into a "witch" session. If that is all the feedback they get, I can understand why they wouldn't ask for more! The other thought I had was an e-mail address that we could send suggestions to. I'm not sure that using the "contact us" feature on the employee network would accomplish what we want to communicate to the Company. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 5, 2005 Author Share Posted December 5, 2005 so you didn't plan for your retirement and now you want more money J-150, The viability of Ford and my future Pension payments go hand-in-hand. Ford, in an effort to cut costs, has been nibbling away at my Pension Income. One by increasing my Healthcare Drug Co-pay when in reality, when I qualilified for Medicare, my Healthcare costs to Ford went down significantly and two by eliminating the Annual year-end inflation adjustment. I would like Ford to use the creative talents of current retirees to keep the Company viable and profitable. By your remark you apparently didn't understand my concern. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98shotoy11 Posted December 5, 2005 Share Posted December 5, 2005 Richard....Im sad to say that one day eventually, most likely soon you will not have a pension. Its getting to that point now. On top of that your copays and perscriptions will be alot more. You are probably going to have to pay full price for perscriptions in the near future. Thats part of Ford's "restructure" program. If the stuff with Delphi goes the way they want it then the employees working now are going to get screwed even more then you did. The way I see it is that all the auto makers are going to be recruiting illegal imigrants as soon as they cross over into the states. Ford is pissing alot of people off and I see MANY recalls in the future because people are going to do the work they are getting paid to do. There will be no morale either. That and the only benefits you will get is the stuff offered through the company at a "discount" priced....meaning you will still have to pay but not as much because of a group discount rate. The only way you will get taken care of in the auto industry is if you are a Ford family member or an Exec with the UAW. Otherwise we are ALL screwed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 6, 2005 Author Share Posted December 6, 2005 Richard....Im sad to say that one day eventually, most likely soon you will not have a pension. Its getting to that point now. On top of that your copays and perscriptions will be alot more. You are probably going to have to pay full price for perscriptions in the near future. Thats part of Ford's "restructure" program. If the stuff with Delphi goes the way they want it then the employees working now are going to get screwed even more then you did. The way I see it is that all the auto makers are going to be recruiting illegal imigrants as soon as they cross over into the states. Ford is pissing alot of people off and I see MANY recalls in the future because people are going to do the work they are getting paid to do. There will be no morale either. That and the only benefits you will get is the stuff offered through the company at a "discount" priced....meaning you will still have to pay but not as much because of a group discount rate. The only way you will get taken care of in the auto industry is if you are a Ford family member or an Exec with the UAW. Otherwise we are ALL screwed. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 98shotoy11, Are we going to be better off whinning about how bad everything is or by standing up and fighting back? If you believe what you have dribbled out here then perhaps you will be better served at different place of employment. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98shotoy11 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 Well, I wasnt try to whine about it, I was more or less stating my two cents. Also, I am looking for another place of employment because Ford outsourced my job and I am no longer a Ford employee. So, now you are thinking that I am whining because I lost my job....well yes and no. The fact is there is nothing that can be done to "save" healthcare with major businesses. Most places are going to bad healthcare plans or a plan that has a group discount rate. I know at my "old" plant they are taking a dollar an hour off your check to pay for the retirees. Which, if all the plants did that then that would be great!!!!! no one is complaining about it either surprisingly. I myself would be MORE then happy to give up a dollar...I wouldnt mind doing two. See most people only see "now" they dont try looking into the future. Thats the problem with the younger crowd. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 6, 2005 Author Share Posted December 6, 2005 Well, I wasnt try to whine about it, I was more or less stating my two cents. Also, I am looking for another place of employment because Ford outsourced my job and I am no longer a Ford employee. So, now you are thinking that I am whining because I lost my job....well yes and no. The fact is there is nothing that can be done to "save" healthcare with major businesses. Most places are going to bad healthcare plans or a plan that has a group discount rate. I know at my "old" plant they are taking a dollar an hour off your check to pay for the retirees. Which, if all the plants did that then that would be great!!!!! no one is complaining about it either surprisingly. I myself would be MORE then happy to give up a dollar...I wouldnt mind doing two. See most people only see "now" they dont try looking into the future. Thats the problem with the younger crowd. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you find the perfect job for you soon. Thank you for your honest and caring response. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 J-150, The viability of Ford and my future Pension payments go hand-in-hand. Ford, in an effort to cut costs, has been nibbling away at my Pension Income. One by increasing my Healthcare Drug Co-pay when in reality, when I qualilified for Medicare, my Healthcare costs to Ford went down significantly and two by eliminating the Annual year-end inflation adjustment. I would like Ford to use the creative talents of current retirees to keep the Company viable and profitable. By your remark you apparently didn't understand my concern. with all due respect, what do the retirees have to offer? Ford and the vehicles they offered us in the 70's, 80's and 90's are entirely the reason wht people have left for Toyota and Honda and are never coming back to Ford. Ford needs new minds and new ideas. The reality is, Ford won't be growing anytime soon. What they need to do is stop the bleeding and stablilize first. I wouldnt expect to see any market share gains for 10 years (long enough for people to forget about all of the crap that was sold in the past) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98shotoy11 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 with all due respect, what do the retirees have to offer? Ford and the vehicles they offered us in the 70's, 80's and 90's are entirely the reason wht people have left for Toyota and Honda and are never coming back to Ford. Ford needs new minds and new ideas. The reality is, Ford won't be growing anytime soon. What they need to do is stop the bleeding and stablilize first. I wouldnt expect to see any market share gains for 10 years (long enough for people to forget about all of the crap that was sold in the past) What do the retiree's have to offer????? I sure as hell HOPE that you dont know anyone that has retired somewhere!!!!! The fact is they put their time in and busted their ass for 30+ years. So, if your family members retire then they have not offered anything to the company they retired from. Your family members should not get a pension plan after a life of hard working dedication to the same company? My god that comment you made was NOT a very good one. When you retire sir, I hope that they say the same damn thing about you. Or are you one of the few that have lived there all your life and have blown your money on stupid stuff to where you have to keep working? I hear Toyota calling you...you could be more use over there. Also, you honestly think that the cars built back in the 70's and 80's are better "quality" then what is being built today? Hmmm sounds like you may have been from that era and are still on what ever drug of your choice was back then. There is no way in hell that automobiles are going to be as good quality now or in the future as they were back then. With the cars back then, you could hit a building head on at 50 mph and barely dent your car. Now a days, if you get rear ended at 10mph your car is close to being totalled. How is that better then now??????? AS for people leaving for toyota's and other manufactures....well yes, I am sure some of it was quality and most of all customer service. The main thing is that we had "change". There was soemthing different to choose from and back then no one was thinking about foreign car makers taking over the big 3. Hell, people were excited to be the first to have something different...even if it was foreign. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I hope you find the perfect job for you soon. Thank you for your honest and caring response. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you and your family. Thank you Richard and I hope you and your family have a safe and great holiday season as well. BTW I LOVE the stang in your avatar pic!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 6, 2005 Share Posted December 6, 2005 What do the retiree's have to offer????? Also, you honestly think that the cars built back in the 70's and 80's are better "quality" then what is being built today? 2 points here, It sounds like Richard wants Ford to consult with retirees for their "creative talents" My view is, they are part of the problem. They are the ones that made the half-assed cars of the day. EVEN if that statement is wrong, there are a whole lot of import buyers to believe its true. If you tell these people that Ford is dusting off the ones who made the crap cars that turned them off of Detroit in the first place... you will have destroyed everything the company has tried to do in the past 3-5 years with cars like the Fusion, 500 and F150. And yes, cars are better today. Please dont confuse crumple zones with quality. That is government mandate, not a styling decision. There is no way a 1986 Mustang measures up in any way to a 2006 Mustang. Same with F150. And there is no way in the world you will convince me that the Granada is a better product than the Fusion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 7, 2005 Author Share Posted December 7, 2005 2 points here, It sounds like Richard wants Ford to consult with retirees for their "creative talents" My view is, they are part of the problem. They are the ones that made the half-assed cars of the day. --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, My personal tour of duty with Ford was 1964 to 1991. This period included the 1970's Energy Crisis - Gas Lines and Ford was caught with the wrong Vehicle mix, we stumbled thru that period with so-so products, did some serious restructing, Cut Costs and evolved the Escort, Taurus, F-series Trucks to rebuild the company's Treasure Chest. It was during this period that many Plants were built and expanded. OSHA was implemented and greatly improved Worker safety and working conditions, Statistical Process Control became a way of life to build quality into each vehicle, the forces of competition resulted in dramatically improved fuel economy and reduced emissions. Quality Circles were copied from the Japanese and evolved as Employee Involvement. Wages increased along with Benefits. I believe the Quality of Ford products is better now than it has ever been. Quality didn't just appear in the last 3-5 years - it evolved over time. Current Ford problems are NOT some new "Industrial Virus" but just a combination of Product, Productivity and People. You can learn from the past and do better or you can blame all those "jerks" that came before you and doom yourself to certain destruction. I am offering advise on things that have worked for me in my life. My mind and life didn't end when I left Ford in 1991, but have continued to evolve. What you do will directly affect you and your family and me and my family - I CARE - I HOPE YOU DO ALSO! What can you personally do to help the company at this time? In my opinion you have a great leader in Mr. Bill Ford - support him and his team. Become part of the Solution, Don't be part of the problem! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian502 Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 with all due respect, what do the retirees have to offer? Ford and the vehicles they offered us in the 70's, 80's and 90's are entirely the reason wht people have left for Toyota and Honda and are never coming back to Ford. Ford needs new minds and new ideas. The reality is, Ford won't be growing anytime soon. What they need to do is stop the bleeding and stablilize first. I wouldnt expect to see any market share gains for 10 years (long enough for people to forget about all of the crap that was sold in the past) Our retirees built what the were told to build,and how Ford wanted it it built.And 99% of our Quality problems come from design and cost saving.Neither of which do we have any control over. :angry: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 7, 2005 Share Posted December 7, 2005 Our retirees built what the were told to build,and how Ford wanted it it built.And 99% of our Quality problems come from design and cost saving.Neither of which do we have any control over. :angry: so if you offered nothing then, what can you offer now? Nothing has changed with respect to Sr Mgmt decision making. If they tied your hands then, they would do the same again. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
98shotoy11 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 so if you offered nothing then, what can you offer now? Nothing has changed with respect to Sr Mgmt decision making. If they tied your hands then, they would do the same again. Well, obviously you offer nothing for your job as well. So you are saying that if you report to work everyday and do what you are told then you have nothing to offer the company????? My god man...you are sounding more like an ass hat every comment you make. I sure as hell hope you dont have children...and if you do I see them as the ones always getting picked on or getting their butts kicked because mommy and daddy are teaching them how the world doesnt work. I will pray for you this holiday season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Well, obviously you offer nothing for your job as well. So you are saying that if you report to work everyday and do what you are told then you have nothing to offer the company????? My god man...you are sounding more like an ass hat every comment you make. I sure as hell hope you dont have children...and if you do I see them as the ones always getting picked on or getting their butts kicked because mommy and daddy are teaching them how the world doesnt work. I will pray for you this holiday season. I don't work for Ford. I happen to be one of those loyal customers that keeps you employed. But even my patience is wearing thin with the crap that continues to be pushed out. If Ford starts putting out crap again like they did in the 80's, I'm out of here. The only reason I continue to buy Ford is that they are putting their past behind them and starting the get competitive again. Now is not the time to relive those past glories. Those methods only worked because Detroit OWNED the market. Guess what? There is competition now and those trains of thought will no longer work. You can think I'm an ass all you want but remember, there are hundreds of thousands of Ford customers thinking the same thing right now. The smart ones at Ford realize that many customers are on their last Ford car. One more chance and thats it. They blow this and those customers are off to the Tokyo Auto Show. Look at GM... thats what happens when only fleet and employees are the ones buying your cars. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 I don't work for Ford. I happen to be one of those loyal customers that keeps you employed. But even my patience is wearing thin with the crap that continues to be pushed out.If Ford starts putting out crap again like they did in the 80's, I'm out of here. The only reason I continue to buy Ford is that they are putting their past behind them and starting the get competitive again. Now is not the time to relive those past glories. Those methods only worked because Detroit OWNED the market. Guess what? There is competition now and those trains of thought will no longer work. You can think I'm an ass all you want but remember, there are hundreds of thousands of Ford customers thinking the same thing right now. The smart ones at Ford realize that many customers are on their last Ford car. One more chance and thats it. They blow this and those customers are off to the Tokyo Auto Show. Look at GM... thats what happens when only fleet and employees are the ones buying your cars. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, You obviously lack common sense and are truly an Unamerican traitor. I suggest you go live with the rice growers if you love them so much. Your attitude is disgraceful!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
996r916sps Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 Somewhere in the world, there is a huge pile of pocket knives where all pocket knives eventually go! Who am I? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------J-150, You obviously lack common sense and are truly an Unamerican traitor. I suggest you go live with the rice growers if you love them so much. Your attitude is disgraceful!!! so it's unAmerican to stop patronizing a company that delivers substandard product? Firstly, you are a hypocrite. If you can prove to me that there is absolutely nothing in your house that is made in Japan, India or China I will eat my hat. And let's not forget about all of those nice new Ford made in Mexico. Am I unAmerican if I buy those? Am I unAmerican because I once owned an F150 made in Canada? But what about those American made F150s with Canadian engines? Or how about that Explorer with a German engine? Your unAmerican rant proves my point. Keep thinking that way and Ford is sure to go bankrupt. Edited December 8, 2005 by J-150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 so it's unAmerican to stop patronizing a company that delivers substandard product? Firstly, you are a hypocrite. If you can prove to me that there is absolutely nothing in your house that is made in Japan, India or China I will eat my hat. And let's not forget about all of those nice new Ford made in Mexico. Am I unAmerican if I buy those? Am I unAmerican because I once owned an F150 made in Canada? But what about those American made F150s with Canadian engines? Or how about that Explorer with a German engine? Your unAmerican rant proves my point. Keep thinking that way and Ford is sure to go bankrupt. ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, You won't have to eat your hat because I do have stuff in my house that was made outside the USA. I do make a concsious attempt to BUY AMERICAN but many times I can't find what I want or need. I have made some bad choices in the past and I can see that it has resulted in hurting American businesses. I am sorry for that. I don't believe that Ford or any major Auto Manufacturer is producing "substandard products." So I don't buy your excuse to Buy a Jap Car. I think I hear you saying that if I recognize what I have been making a poor and stupid choice I should keep on doing it!! I am opposed to allowing the enemy to eat my lunch. That sounds insane to me. The nice thing about the truth is that it is always true (Wheither you believe it or not). ps: Those Ford Products you mentioned were all made in Ford Plants in Mexico, Canada and Germany so the Profits come back to America. To some extent we are exploiting the foreign labor but we are not trying to take over their market or economy. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, I don't believe that Ford or any major Auto Manufacturer is producing "substandard products." So I don't buy your excuse to Buy a Jap Car. I didn't say thay I'm going to buy Japaese, but there are many current Ford owners that will. I could buy Japanese, but I could very well end up in a Ram before I buy another F150. And yes, My 2004 F150 is substandard. For how much money I paid, there is a lot missing. Maybe instead of spending so much money on the frame, they could have spend some time on fit & finish or quality materials in the cab. These new F150s are lemons. Go over to F150Online and see how many people have problem after problem. Owners of 2004 and newer Rams are not having these problems. Dont get me wrong, I love the F150, but it is sorely lacking for the amount of money being spent. Also, I am not saying that you did not work hard and you did not contribute. But the old ways of thinking will not work anymore. The only ones that are touting JD Powers and Harbour Reports are the die hard Detroit loyalists and apologists. The people that have left Detroit to buy a Toyota or Honda dont care. They were stung one too many times to give a another chance. What I am saying is that there are a lot of people ready to trade in that Ford or GM on a Toyota. This isnt about second chances. Detroit has already been given that. They are now on the 4th or 5th opportunity to prove themselves. When I am ready to drop $40k on my next truck, I don't really care where or by whom it is made. As long as it is a good truck, that will not be spending an excessive amount of time on a hoist (like many current F150 owners) And if buying a truck designed and manufactuered in the US (by American workers) makes me unAmerican because that plant is in Texas, not Michgan, then so be it. Edited December 8, 2005 by J-150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 And if buying a truck designed and manufactuered in the US (by American workers) makes me unAmerican because that plant is in Texas, not Michgan, then so be it. ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, If the profits go off shore it is Unamerican to buy the car or truck. I hope for the good of the USA economy you come to your senses and buy from a American owned company. I wish you well in your pursuits but AMERICAN COMES FIRST!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 8, 2005 Share Posted December 8, 2005 And if buying a truck designed and manufactuered in the US (by American workers) makes me unAmerican because that plant is in Texas, not Michgan, then so be it.----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- J-150, If the profits go off shore it is Unamerican to buy the car or truck. I hope for the good of the USA economy you come to your senses and buy from a American owned company. I wish you well in your pursuits but AMERICAN COMES FIRST!! even if that vehicle is made outside of America, employing non-American workers? Wouldn't you agree its better to see the worker get the money than some rich snob that has some Ford stock in his million dollar portfolio? The only people getting rich under your definition of Americanism are the rich stockholders and senior executives. Hom much money does Bill Gates make when he offshores American jobs to India? The profits still come back here though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Richard Smith Posted December 8, 2005 Author Share Posted December 8, 2005 (edited) J-150, even if that vehicle is made outside of America, employing non-American workers? YES-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Wouldn't you agree its better to see the worker get the money than some rich snob that has some Ford stock in his million dollar portfolio? WORKERS SHOULD GET A FAIR DAYS PAY FOR A FAIR DAYS WORK. HOW MUCH MONEY ONE HAS SHOULD NOT DETERMINE IF THEY SHOULD GET DIVIDENDS ON THEIR INVESTMENTS. HOW MUCH IS TOO MUCH AND WHO DECIDES? -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The only people getting rich under your definition of Americanism are the rich stockholders and senior executives. IN AMERICA YOU GET RICH, IN MONETARY TERMS, BY ACCUMULATING ASSETS - NO ONE IS EXCLUDED. SOME SEEM TO HAVE TO WORK HARDER THAN OTHERS HOWEVER. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- How much money does Bill Gates make when he offshores American jobs to India? I DON'T KNOW AND I DON'T CARE. BILL GATES HAS DONE A LOT OF GOOD FOR OUR ECONOMY - I APPLAUD HIM. I WISH THAT THE JOBS WOULD STAY IN AMERICA. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The profits still come back here though. TRUE AND THAT'S A GOOD THING. Edited December 8, 2005 by Richard Smith Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
J-150 Posted December 9, 2005 Share Posted December 9, 2005 (edited) Wow! Richard, its offical. Your ideas are not needed at Ford in 2006. A fair days wage for a fair days work... but you are okay with a foreign made Ford because Ford stockholders make the money, even if the American workers are laid off in the process. You seem way more concerned about the profits than the workers. Or is it just a pure hatred of any automaker with a head office outside of Michigan? Your antiquated ideas are whats bankrupting GM and Ford. Edited December 9, 2005 by J-150 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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