Who is the wizard?

[good-bye-stl-hello-kc]

I'm not to partial to kool-aid, but will mix a drink of my own. Neither party cares about the UAW and it's workers. I do not agree with everything the republican party says or does. I am a conservative and unfortunately the republican party is my only option at this time. So, I vote for the republican party until there is a viable alternative. Is the republican party all sugar and spice and everything nice, not a chance, the democratic party is not either.

 

You have judged the entire republican party from an incident that has left a bad taste in your mouth, so be it, your choice. If you feel the democrats have the UAW's interest at heart, I beg to differ. As I stated in an earlier post they could care less. They want the UAW's campaign money and the memberships votes. I ask you what has the democratic party done for the UAW in the past twenty years, nothing. This is not 1940, 50, 60, 70 or the 1980's. Things have changed and the union has not changed with the times. You blindly vote for the democrats because the UAW says so. Who's drinking the kool-aid?

 

addeled YOU MUST BE DRINKING TO KOOL AID IF YOU THINK THAT ANYONE CAN TELL SOMEONE ELSE HOW TO VOTE. WHO YOU VOTE FOR IS YOUR CHOICE AND THE UAW HAS NEVER WALKED INTO THE VOTING LOCATION AND VOTED FOR ME....IF YOU WANT TO STAND BEHIND THE REPUBLICAN PARTY AND THIER VALUES BE MY GUEST BUT REMEMBER THEY ARE ALSO NOT ON YOUR SIDE.THE WILL CONTINUE TO LET OUR JOBS GO OVERS SEAS WIT THERE CONSERVATIVE FREE TRADE ACTS AND NOT SUPPORTING FAIR TRADE FOR ALL US COMPANIES THEY WILL CONTINUE TO BE SELF SERVING IN THE GAS MARKET AND HALIBURTON MONIES.THEY WILL CONTINUE TO KEEP SOCIAL ISSUES ALIVE THAT DIVIDE US ALL LIKE ABORTIONS (REPUBLICAN CONTROLED HOUSE, SENATE,PRESIDENT WHY IS THIS ISSUE NOT RESOLVED) BECAUSE THEY WANT TO KEEP IT A LIVE TO GET YOU AND THE CHURHS PUMPED UP EVERY ELECTION AKA WEDGE ISSUE.YOU CAN SUPPORT WHO YOU CHOSE BUT WITHOUT PEOPLE SUPPORTING YOUR JOB AND LIVELY HOOD YOU MIGHT AS WELL START SPEAKING SPANISH,GERMAN OR WHAT EVER LANGUAGE YOU CHOOSE BECAUSE YOU WONT BE ABLE TO FIND A GOOD PAYING JOB YOU WILL BE FORCED TO MOVE TO FIND A WAY TO PROVIDE FOR YOUR FAMILY.

[addeled]

good-bye-stl-hello-kc,

 

I am not trying to tell anyone how to vote. I did tell everyone how I will vote. No political arguments will be won on this board. Those who choose their party do so for their own reasons. I am just trying to point out that the democratic party is not the UAW save all. I have asked, twice, what this party has done for the UAW in the past twenty years and have received non-response.

 

Social issues are used by both sides, not just one party or there would not be such a storm over them. That is a two way street my friend.

 

Again, my only option at this time is the republican party because the are the party that holds a more conservative view of the world. There would be no better time for a third and fourth party to emerge than now. With the country split about 50/50 they could stand a real chance at the polls. I see no one stepping up to the plate.

 

Are not the transplants playing by the same rules as us? Are they eating up our market share? Yep, so your theory about the republican party will not hold true. It is not the democratic or republican parties fault for the decline of the american auto industry. It is bad management. PERIOD!

 

What's with the CAPS, you yelling at me

[Len_A]

You have judged the entire republican party from an incident that has left a bad taste in your mouth, so be it, your choice.

Not one incident. Try six, including the USA sales manager of a German fastener company, who fired me in my own driveway, because, among other reason, my UAW pipe-fitter neighbor on one side, and my UAW Hi-Lo driver behind me, are all living, along with myself, in a subdivision that he, as a national sales manager, can't afford. Why can me? Because I couldn't undo the damage to their sales that they committed by NOT having a dedicated sales rep to call on the Big Three and the Tier One suppliers for five years - they used manufacturers representative. Somehow, he expected that because my brother was then a salaried trainee, and my dad was an hourly blanker operator at DSP, I should have the inside track on regaining business. Please. Spare me.

 

 

 

Then there's Vice President of sales for a California tool manufacturer, who ripped on the Detroit auto workers, hourly and salaried, and on me, because I couldn't guarantee that an appointment made by an out-of-town representative, like himself, won't get side tracked by some in-plant production emergency. More tirades about crooked and corrupt people working for Detroit auto companies, starting with the UAW rank & file and ending with the gutless management that won't stand up to union thugs. This is in 2000 and 2001, not 1940.

 

 

 

Then there's the local office manager (another nice, conservative Republican type) who rip allof our auto customers as soon as he was off the phone with them. Not because they did something to piss him off. But becasue he hates the UAW for getting you guys benefits that the United Rubber Workers couldn't get for his father when he worked for Goodyear in Akron, OH.

 

 

 

Then there's American Honda. In addition to prototype parts, my employer can make service parts. So I've called on Honda, in Ohio. Every three months for going on four years. What did they tell me? "Show us what Honda parts you can make." Not examples of what we already make -actual Honda parts made without the benefit of CAD drawings (blueprints). Go to a Honda dealer. Buy Honda parts of the type that I want to bid on. Reverse engineer them. Get Cad drawings made. Get tooling made. Make samples. Ship all of that to Honda in Marysville, OH. Not to bid on those particular parts, but to be examined for approval to quote on them. Yea, right. Spend at least $25,000 on each part sample, a minimum of six different parts, $150,000 total investment. Just to be approved to bid on the work. Yea, Right.

 

 

 

What does this have to do with nice, conservative Republican types? I don't know what state you're in, but I live in Michigan, and my nice, conservative Republican type coworkers are ripping our Democratic Governor, who is running for re-election, because she never met with Honda, and Indiana got a Honda plant. So f**king what? Honda approached Indiana a year ago, to invite their governor to start courting Honda. You don't unsolicited contact Honda. They come to you first. That's the weird way they do business. But, no, the nice, conservative Republican types, even after listening with absolute shock to my phone conversation with Honda's buyers (not recorded - they were listening in on the speaker phone and staying silent in the background), they still are going to rip on a Democrat Governor, because she's "in the back pocket of the damn UAW". Yea, right.

 

 

 

One bad experience? Give me a break. I wish it was just one. Like proud to be union asked - how many voted for Bush? The same Bush that stiffed the execs from GM, Ford, and Chrysler twice on appointments to see him. He's coming to Michigan for another fund raiser for a candidate. Want to bet he stiffs the Detroit auto makers again? How many of the Republicans that you voted into office in your neck of the woods are speaking up to the Bush administration in defence of your job? Like proud to be union said, you have values, but without a job how far will they get you? The depth of your conservative convictions are leaving you vulnurable to being manipulated into supporting people who realy don't give a rat's ass about working people, especially those that are part of organized labor.

 

 

 

Like I said before, wake up and smell the coffee.

[good-bye-stl-hello-kc]

good-bye-stl-hello-kc,

 

I am not trying to tell anyone how to vote. I did tell everyone how I will vote. No political arguments will be won on this board. Those who choose their party do so for their own reasons. I am just trying to point out that the democratic party is not the UAW save all. I have asked, twice, what this party has done for the UAW in the past twenty years and have received non-response.

 

Social issues are used by both sides, not just one party or there would not be such a storm over them. That is a two way street my friend.

 

Again, my only option at this time is the republican party because the are the party that holds a more conservative view of the world. There would be no better time for a third and fourth party to emerge than now. With the country split about 50/50 they could stand a real chance at the polls. I see no one stepping up to the plate.

 

Are not the transplants playing by the same rules as us? Are they eating up our market share? Yep, so your theory about the republican party will not hold true. It is not the democratic or republican parties fault for the decline of the american auto industry. It is bad management. PERIOD!

 

What's with the CAPS, you yelling at me

 

 

 

sorry about caps

the problem with the transplants and the reblican party are all in the same . and the answer to your first question is what has the democratic party done for you were do I star well kept gas prices down or do something lower them had a thriving economy and jobs that ere createdin this country were well above minumu wage now bush thinks every should have 2 or 3 jobs how about protecting our workers safty thet held true with osha standards ad help make a safer place to work the republican appointed members of the labor board are continually going against the union members and now siding with the companies and not supporting the workers and there families. keep an eye on the delphi situation and see if the republican control courts allow them to file bankruptcy and nullify all active and retireed members benefits including the retirement they have counted on for there lively hood.

 

and as far as the playing beening level with the transplant the answer is hell no do some research and you wil find that the free trade aggreements only allow for sales in the us market very little restriction for them but when a us company want the same tax breaks the goverment say sorry and the foriegn governments put heavy restriction on us companies. Ford motor is only allowed to sell 25 k cars or truck in china but they can sell as many as they like here is that fair trade.the government also mandates certain restriction and paint ,emisson and even the way things are deliverd to there country. if you go look you will indeed find that the us factory's are at a huge disadvantage with the transplants and the republican who are hmfcs need to work for FAIR trades that is good for all american companies

[addeled]

Len-A,

 

I do like coffee. Seems you have had some run ins with some assholes that were republican, so you say, I have no reason to doubt you. I surely don't mean to imply that every republican is a saint. These business people were just that, assholes. If you wish to say that they were republican assholes, fine.

 

You also ran into some jealousy and I guess they were republican too. If you for one minute think there are not many many supporters of the democratic party that don't feel the same way you need to stay away from all that caffeine, it's affecting your judgement.

 

I guess now it's Bush's job to bail out the mismanaged American auto industry. I just can't say it enough, the reason for the downfall is mismanagement. Read that as many times as it takes for you to understand.

 

It's not republicans nor democrats, IT THE STUPID DECISIONS MADE BY THOSE IN CHARGE, IN DETROIT!!!!

 

I don't want my tax dollars being spent on a failed business unless it would effect our national security. If Ford and GM can't fight their own way out, that's the way it goes.

 

Gas prices are up and Toyota is still eating away at market share. Toyota owners pay the same amount for gas as the owners american vehicles do. Read that as many times as it takes too.

[addeled]

good-bye-stl-hello-kc

 

As far as the gas prices, any economist will say it is supply and demand, that's the capitalistic way. Is there some shakey stuff going on, you bet. The so called leaders of the democratic party are knee deep in this also. Take a look a Ted Kennedy's involvement in the oil and gas industry. Another two way sreet.

 

Level playing field, I am talking about the transplants, here in America, who do play by the same rules and their vehicles made here in North America. I thought that Ford was doing okay in the foreign maket. It's the North American division that has problems.

 

More later... thanks for the rational debate guys.... time for the grille.

[napfriend]

All you UAW members that put your faith in someone hiding behind a name like "Wizard" are amazing. We as Union Leaders work our ass off for you, fighting all the BS rumors that your co-workers start. Everybody wants us to answer the rumors....How in the hell can we answer something somebody just made up?

 

We don't know what's going on in Ford. They don't tell us ahead of time. We are always trying to find out and let the membership know FACTS not bullshit!......

 

Think about all your FORD co-workers and FORD suppiler employees, that drive something we don't build.... So many drive Volvo, Mazda, chevy,dodge, jeep or what ever! YOU helped contribute to the problems of today. As your neighbors see what you drive and what you say. YOU are plain STUPID if you purchase any vehicle that we didn't build right here in the USA.

 

Those that work for a supplier, wouldn't it make sense to buy a vehicle that would support your own future?

 

I am proud of the UAW and these are trying times for all of us. :titanic: You can help us swim or sink...your choice.

 

Quit your bitching and be a part of the solution not the problem. How many of you voted for BUSH? The elected politicans in this country are choking us. Get involved and elect people that care about the working people. Don't vote for a politican because of guns,gays,God......You have your values but without a JOB how far will they get you? :shrug:

believe it or not some of us have a strong belief in God, and in his ability to fulfill our needs, unlike some people whose god is the uaw whom they look to for their needs. I don't drink the uaw koolaide, they don't tell me who to vote for, they are partly to blame for this mess that we are in....you're talking about being part of the solution, well it's a little late for that, we should have thought about that back when things were good and the company was asking us to take part in cost savings and other intiaitives.....no we were more worried about getting more days off or more personal fans,,,,

[Bluecon]

Bush has been busy stopping all the hurricanes. And now he is causing the price of gas to go down.

Next year he should have more time to cure the Big 2.5.

 

Seriously, the Big 2.5 need to save themselves. And everybody is on the ship together and better start working together instead of hoping for the government Cavalry. You want to be mad at some one start with Bill Ford. He was the one there when the products where dieing and now he needs to close plants because he has no product to sell. For decades the big 2.5 lived very nicely off the profits from their trucklines and let the cars languish. Now you have competition for the trucks and a high gas price and few competitive cars. The lack of product is the problem.

[Len_A]

Len-A,

 

I do like coffee. Seems you have had some run ins with some assholes that were republican, so you say, I have no reason to doubt you. I surely don't mean to imply that every republican is a saint. These business people were just that, assholes. If you wish to say that they were republican assholes, fine.

That's exactly what they are - assholes.

You also ran into some jealousy and I guess they were republican too. If you for one minute think there are not many many supporters of the democratic party that don't feel the same way you need to stay away from all that caffeine, it's affecting your judgement.

Yep. Jealousy is exactly their problem. Are the Democrats perfect? Hell no. And I was a Republican, and I voted for Reagan both time he won, and I vote for the first Bush. And then I voted for Clinton. Both times. Then "Dubya". Once. Not a second time. I am sick to death of the idea that the conservative extreme Right espouses, that if something that you fundamentally disagree with (and you can fill the blank in with any of the usual Christan Coalition complaints), that if it exists, their rights are being infringed on. I was also educated by the Jesuits (University of Detroit), and educated to think for myself, not go along to get along. Gay marraige, abortion, gun rights...Jeezus, give me a break. A lot of smoke and mirrors, to rile people up, while they pass tax cuts that benefit the wealthies 1% of society. When you have people like Bill Gates coming out against some of Bush's taxes cuts, in 2001, you have to start questioning conservative dogma.

 

 

 

I guess now it's Bush's job to bail out the mismanaged American auto industry. I just can't say it enough, the reason for the downfall is mismanagement. Read that as many times as it takes for you to understand.

 

It's not republicans nor democrats, IT THE STUPID DECISIONS MADE BY THOSE IN CHARGE, IN DETROIT!!!!

Damn right. Who said they were aksing for a bail out? They (Big 3 execs) said they were NOT goimg to talk about a bail out. What they want to talk about is the high cost of medical insurance. The playing field is not level. You're right - some of Detroit managments decision are just plain stupid, BUT it's not easy to make the correct decision when you have huge legacy costs and a work force whose average age is higher than that of your transplant competition. The transplants have no large number of retirees, hourly and salaried, to pay for. Their work force is younger and their medical costs are lower as a result. I work for a small shop - our youngest worker left, and everyone else got older, with the next youngest being 45. Our health insurance rates went up in two parts - 8% for inflation, and 7% surgarge because our average age went up. In case you don't know this, GM is the largest buyer of health insurance in the country. That alone deserves some respect from the White House. The financial problems Detroit face with their transplant competition is the same the steel companies faced going up agianst the newer and younger minimills, and the older airlines go through against the younger airlines like Spirit. Whether you like it or not, our system penalizes older companies like yours when they compete with younger competition.

 

 

 

That's what they want to talk to Bush about, and that's what I personally find the Democrats care about more than the Republicans do. That's why I became an independant and why I won't drink from the conservative Kool-aid. I'm the graduate of a business school, and I won't buy the Bush adminstrations dogma. That should tell you something right there. That's why you have people like the chairman of Costco coming out against the GOP's financial policies.

 

I don't want my tax dollars being spent on a failed business unless it would effect our national security. If Ford and GM can't fight their own way out, that's the way it goes.

 

Gas prices are up and Toyota is still eating away at market share. Toyota owners pay the same amount for gas as the owners american vehicles do. Read that as many times as it takes too.

Niether do I. Detroit made some stupid product decisions, but not having legacy costs, and not having an older work force let's them plow more profits into product development. Not a level playing field.

[Bluecon]

Damn right. Who said they were aksing for a bail out? They (Big 3 execs) said they were NOT goimg to talk about a bail out. What they want to talk about is the high cost of medical insurance. The playing field is not level. You're right - some of Detroit managments decision are just plain stupid, BUT it's not easy to make the correct decision when you have huge legacy costs and a work force whose average age is higher than that of your transplant competition. The transplants have no large number of retirees, hourly and salaried, to pay for. Their work force is younger and their medical costs are lower as a result. I work for a small shop - our youngest worker left, and everyone else got older, with the next youngest being 45. Our health insurance rates went up in two parts - 8% for inflation, and 7% surgarge because our average age went up. In case you don't know this, GM is the largest buyer of health insurance in the country. That alone deserves some respect from the White House. The financial problems Detroit face with their transplant competition is the same the steel companies faced going up agianst the newer and younger minimills, and the older airlines go through against the younger airlines like Spirit. Whether you like it or not, our system penalizes older companies like yours when they compete with younger competition.

The medical insurance argument is a lame duck. Canada has the medical insurance and we are getting hit as hard as the USA.

[Len_A]

The medical insurance argument is a lame duck. Canada has the medical insurance and we are getting hit as hard as the USA.

That's undeniably true. Nevertheless, the Detroit exec are on record as NOT looking to Washington for a bailout, so that criticism is an equally lame duck. And the fact remains that Canada's health insurance is still seen as an advantage in competing with USA companies. Plus your legacy pensions costs can't be any better than on our side of the border.

[Bluecon]

That's undeniably true. Nevertheless, the Detroit exec are on record as NOT looking to Washington for a bailout, so that criticism is an equally lame duck. And the fact remains that Canada's health insurance is still seen as an advantage in competing with USA companies. Plus your legacy pensions costs can't be any better than on our side of the border.

That is not a criticism, but a fact. I still believe if you have good management you can overcome all the obstacles. Look at what Harley Davidson did. Things have to be cleaned up, and it is not the unions fault. Mangement needs to lead. I started working on the line at Chryslers in 76 and things became much worse than anything you're seeing now. Then there was no buyouts or layoff agreements. They just cut and made the correct moves. All the people layed off were eventually called back. They can't continue with this policy of keeping plants open to avoid pain to the workforce. In the long run it will kill them.

[DSenstad]

You obviously haven't looked at the OHAP thread lately. That place is a three ring circus compared to 245;)

Actually that was exactly the post I was thinking of while reading this post.

[xstapr]

To all of you who put your faith into what the Wizard predicts, you must know who this person is. I will not reveal his name, but the one you have been basing your future on is a UAW JANITOR at a Dearborn location. Like a lot of other people at this same location, he uses company time and computers to not do the job Ford Motor Company pays him to do. The wizard has unsucessfully run for local union positions more than once, and now settles for dumpster diving to get useless information to post here and toy with peoples lives. It is a symptom of the location the wizard pretends to work at, just as many others on this message forum. WAY too much time on their hands. Using company computers on company time. Want more about these people and the location they work at? There's lots more!

 

NOW YOU KNOW, WANT MORE?

I will not reveal "uawworkers" name but he was going by the screen name URALLFKT.

URALLFKT's posts can be found here in the employee forum.

[slapshot2]

You obviously haven't looked at the OHAP thread lately. That place is a three ring circus compared to 245;)

You noticed that did you Pioneer? Not only you, but this thread that you speak of was specifically mentioned to our plant "leaders" in a meeting held last week with our regional VP's of production an HR, and they were not at all happy about the embarrassment that this thread is causing the plant. Anyone who thinks that this stuff does not get read is a fool. While I am sure the company has no problem with constructive posts, or even reasonable discussions and anxiety about the current conditions and the plants rumors, but some of the circus like stuff that you mention that is posted for public view does not get looked at favorably by the upper managers within the company, nor should it, and we have been told to knock it off and stop making fools of ourselves and the company. Think most of the people on the floor believe this? You guessed it. Got any openings up there?

[R&ECenter]

I will not reveal "uawworkers" name but he was going by the screen name URALLFKT.

URALLFKT's posts can be found here in the employee forum.

 

uawworker is the son of Mario Guerreso (President of UAW Local 245). His name is Paul.

 

Ask grindliner1968. grindliner1968 has been a member here since 2002.

[DearbornDerek]

uawworker is the son of Mario Guerreso (President of UAW Local 245). His name is Paul.

 

Ask grindliner1968. grindliner1968 has been a member here since 2002.

 

So this little f er is pissed off because daddy is an a hole and he comes in here and starts shit with us? I'd say it's time for a beatdown.

[lost04]

Len-A,

 

I do like coffee. Seems you have had some run ins with some assholes that were republican, so you say, I have no reason to doubt you. I surely don't mean to imply that every republican is a saint. These business people were just that, assholes. If you wish to say that they were republican assholes, fine.

 

You also ran into some jealousy and I guess they were republican too. If you for one minute think there are not many many supporters of the democratic party that don't feel the same way you need to stay away from all that caffeine, it's affecting your judgement.

 

I guess now it's Bush's job to bail out the mismanaged American auto industry. I just can't say it enough, the reason for the downfall is mismanagement. Read that as many times as it takes for you to understand.

 

It's not republicans nor democrats, IT THE STUPID DECISIONS MADE BY THOSE IN CHARGE, IN DETROIT!!!!

 

I don't want my tax dollars being spent on a failed business unless it would effect our national security. If Ford and GM can't fight their own way out, that's the way it goes.

 

Gas prices are up and Toyota is still eating away at market share. Toyota owners pay the same amount for gas as the owners american vehicles do. Read that as many times as it takes too.

Bush's leadership is not what I believe most republicans envisioned when they voted him in office the second time. They were snowballed by 9-11 in believing he was a great President.....AND NO I AM NOT A REPUBLICAN...AND THIS IS THE ONLY SUBJECT THAT I WILL EVER HALF WAY DEFENDS THEM AS A PARTY....

[davio]

The medical insurance argument is a lame duck. Canada has the medical insurance and we are getting hit as hard as the USA.

 

Really?

 

Then why Chevy is building the next generation camaro in Canada?

[econolineman]

You noticed that did you Pioneer? Not only you, but this thread that you speak of was specifically mentioned to our plant "leaders" in a meeting held last week with our regional VP's of production an HR, and they were not at all happy about the embarrassment that this thread is causing the plant. Anyone who thinks that this stuff does not get read is a fool. While I am sure the company has no problem with constructive posts, or even reasonable discussions and anxiety about the current conditions and the plants rumors, but some of the circus like stuff that you mention that is posted for public view does not get looked at favorably by the upper managers within the company, nor should it, and we have been told to knock it off and stop making fools of ourselves and the company. Think most of the people on the floor believe this? You guessed it. Got any openings up there?

 

That thread is embarrassing. I wish the folks at Ohio Assembly would open their eyes and see the writing on the wall, but like your last lines in your response....they don't. Plants are lined up like ducks to have the axe fall and our leaders have to be discussing the likes of foolishness here at important meetings instead of focusing on plant quality/productivity...the very things to allow a plant's survival. Clock's ticking...

[Len_A]

Really?

 

Then why Chevy is building the next generation camaro in Canada?

No kidding - the answer would be appreciated by the folks over at Oklahoma Aeembly Plant, seeing as they lost the Camero to Canada.

[J-150]

Really?

 

Then why Chevy is building the next generation camaro in Canada?

 

 

 

because of concessions made by the plant.

 

they are giving up 30 minutes of break per week and laying off all the janitors.

 

 

Had nothing to do with health care.

[youngSTAP]

No kidding - the answer would be appreciated by the folks over at Oklahoma Aeembly Plant, seeing as they lost the Camero to Canada.

 

Apparently the canucks know how to whippsaw better than the hillbillies?????

 

 

yS

[Bluecon]

No kidding - the answer would be appreciated by the folks over at Oklahoma Aeembly Plant, seeing as they lost the Camero to Canada.

And that new plant DCX opened in Toledo this week--that was supposed to go to Windsor, Ont..

And the new GM tranny plant they are building in Toledo. When that is running GMs Windsor tranny plant is likely to close.

And I have worked at the OKC GM plant and doubt they had any intention of building the Camaro there instead of Oshawa. Like you say they, whipsawed them.

 

Len,

What do you want the government to do?

Ford has let several of their major product lines die and now has several plants running at partial production. Last CAW contract the CAW was demanding what they want or they strike.

If the Big 2.5 cannot afford 30 and out, 12 weeks vacation a year and the legacy cost they negotiated with the union, then you want the government to fix that?

[uawworker]

uawworker is a fraud. He is trolling.

 

grindliner1968 exposed him earlier today.

 

I plan to ignore him from this point forward.

 

It is not I who is the fraud. Compare these two situations and then ask yourself, who is the fraud.

 

Consider the assembly line worker in the assembly plant. During the course of an eight-hour shift, he adds nearly the entire eight hours in value to the product being produced. In a one-minute period, the period by which he or she is measured, at least 55-58 seconds of work or product value is performed. The remaining 2-5 seconds are to enable to return to the beginning of the workstation for the next incoming job. Each minute a vehicle arrives and at least 55 seconds of work is performed by the assembler in that minute. The assembler is literally chained to the line. This assembler cannot use the computer, bathroom, call his wife, or perform any other personal needs, at will. This guy or gal is truly earning their $24 per hour. They are adding value to the product immediately that is actually in excess of what they are being paid. These people account for about 50% of the total hourly and salary workforce at Ford. I’m sure you would agree there is no fraud by these hard working people.

 

Now, consider this situation. You have well paid Ford employees (they know who they are) at locations (you know where they are) where there is no production. They get paid even more in their eight-hour shift than the assembly line worker. In an eight-hour period, most of these people do at most, about 1-2 hours of work. (Of course there are some exceptions, but it applies to the majority) The remaining 6-7 hours per day, they spend on personal affairs. The work they do adds no value to an end product. Typically, they have furniture provided by the company, a phone and quite often, a computer at their disposal. They can go to the bathroom, surf the Internet, call their wife, pay their bills, or do whatever they please on company time. Now, you would think at these locations, the union would be tight and cohesive, to protect this gig. However, the opposite is true. They have some much extra time; it leads to gamesmanship and political infighting ala. Doom/Browning, Brown/Huddleston. Perhaps they do not know how good they have it, or feel they are entitled to this situation. How do you think the assembly plant workers feel, knowing they are being paid less and doing all of the work? This is where the fraud is, being paid to add no value. Being paid, to launch negative attacks on co-workers in the same union, rather than working together to preserve the good deal they have.

 

Now the only leg that have to stand on, is the fact that management is doing the exact same no-thing. You can’t expect the workers to add value if management is sitting. This is the root cause of the current problematic situation at Ford Motor. A culture has been created by the other 50% of the workforce, that is counter productive. And this is at the locations where the vehicles are being developed and tested. It is not a mystery why the company is lagging in product development and innovation. The culture where this function takes place is unbalanced. It has gotten to the point where a certain group of people at this location, and they are actually the ones who do the least work, feel that they are so entitled to having it this way, they are going to create political dissent and seize power. You should be smiling and getting along with every other person there. Instead you use company resources on company time (and off company time) to launch negativity campaigns. This is not only fraud, it is the sick and wrong type of fraud.

 

Now imagine, perhaps someday, that Ford Motor Company is acquired by another automaker or does a joint venture with an equal size auto company. Now an outsider will be looking in. How long do you think it will be (real quick) before this counterproductive culture at these locations is noticed? Do you think it will be overlooked as it currently is? The answer is so obvious it requires no response. You are now looking at one of the causes of Ford Motor’s problems. Perhaps if more energy were spent on working together rather than fighting, and finding new and better ways to do business, it would get better. Instead you see the immature behavior fostered by this environment and it’s negative effect on product design. Which is precisely the area where the company is suffering the most. Fraud? This is beyond fraud; this is an outright infection and drain on the company. And the biggest perpetrators of this inefficiency do not believe it is they. In their mind, they are not the problem. They are real quick to point the finger at others, “It’s not me, it’s him, look at him!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” In psychological terms this is known as projecting. When you cast your underlying guilt at others to deflect it from yourself. There is a whole lot of negativity and projecting going on, and not a whole lot of value adding. Actually, it is not that great of a secret. Fields even made a comment that he would “sell the furniture, if it were necessary.” That was a direct comment made to those who sit at company furniture all day, and add little value. But it’s not you, or is it? Fields and Ford know, to make themselves an attractive merger candidate, this culture has to be completely re-created. No other company, other than Ford Motor, allows this to go on. Now I know those who will attack this thought, saying it is snitching or whatever, but rather, a dose of medicine is quickly needed. Otherwise the company could die. Don’t you see it; the company and the union are both suffering, while the internal political power grabbers fail to cease. Do you want it to be like a game of musical chairs, a few people fighting over the last piece of furniture? Or do you want to change, and work collectively to preserve as many chairs as we can? It is a simple, dichotomous choice. To quote Mark Fields, “Change or die.” Your choice. And no distraction, deception or continued negativity will prevent the inevitable from happening.