I know the 5 speed automatic in Lucy, LadyT's Solstice GXP is French, and is in several other GM cars. The 5 speed manual is Asian, and is in several manufacturers vehicles, including the Colorado. Wish there was something some of us could do. I talked with the owners of another local tool shop, and they, along with others, have established relationships with Chinese tool shops, and they are sending tooling over there to be built cheaper than we can here, so they can make a buck. They keep they stuff with money in it here, and send the hard stuff over there. We have managed to stay all american. My boss would rather close the shop than do business with the Chinese! BTW, we have TOO much work, and are making money.

 

An other day, another sign of the times.

This kinda goes along with what Space said.

Four GM truck plants closing next year. Two in the US, one in Canada, one in Mexico.

The fact that even a plant in Mexico is closing, tells you that it's not just a wage thing. People are finally starting to give up the big SUV's and trucks because of gas prices. GM has even said this themselves yesterday.

The people who need a truck or SUV will still buy them. It's the people who were buying them just for style purposes. They're the ones who are finally saying enough is enough.

I was too young to understand first hand at the time... But from what I was told, in the 70's oil crisis, people flocked to small imports because the big three were still producing large, gas guzzlers. Chrysler almost went belly up. But the K-car saved their butts.

I think GM is probably doing the right thing by cutting production of the vehicles that aren't selling well. The problem is, they're the ones being built in North America. Most of the smaller GM cars are made over seas. We need to bring those jobs back here. But that will never happen as long as it's cheaper to make things elsewhere.

 

04 Intimidator

Question, what is a fair yearly pay increase? 1%, 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, 6% What is it???
For the average raise by US UAW employees has been 2.5% which is more than fair. Sincethe averageManagement pay increase over the same period wasaverage 5%.

What this is a case of, "Let me shoot myself in the foot, SHORT TERM THINKING," to keep stockholders happy or in this case, from bailing out! Why? because they are also closing 4 US plants producing trucks and SUVs, which have become unwanted because of the gas prices. But what is going to happen is, they are going to kill their Market. Their buyers, their customers are not going to buy their product, because they will not be able to afford their product. KIA is becoming the fastest growing automaker, why, because they have the cheapest cars and carry a 10-year warranty.

 

imho......just my thought.... if GM would:

1) If the auto makers would concentrate on making vehicles that would getbetter mileage....
2) My brother in law retired last year from fairfax plant in kansas city ks. its not the line personel thats killing .....they have taken cuts for several years... if you dont perform then cut them loose..... that goes for the dead weight in the white collar area especially....there lies alot of the problem...
3) price of oil effects just about everything..... not just the gasoline, but to transport,cars,parts, and finish vehicles, and certain parts that go in the vehicles.....

It just seems to me that it dont take a rocket scientist to figure out that we need to produce fuel effecient vehicles, and freeze the big wigs salary.......

 

So sad, that many of the workers that have extended families in that place, its true that they cannot just can't pack up all of your stuff and belongings in a trailer and drive down to Texas and start again.