Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:16:20 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:56:14 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

The only hope for GM is to pirate Honda and Toyota management
to run it.

You've got to be kidding; they wouldn't know what to do with the mess
left behind. The best bet would be to lease out the best of the
production lines, and sell off the rest for what ever they can get.
There is no hope for GM with a labor friendly government owning half
of the company and the unions owning another big piece.

I don't think there's much left of GM. @60k employees.
Wages are almost down to that of the non-union imports.
The retirement/health plans are being jettisoned.
But their management is stuck in '50's, 60's type mentality.
Cars are "romantic."
Yeah, well business isn't. It's about profit.
That's something Honda and Toyota know.

--Vic

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:16:20 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:56:14 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

The only hope for GM is to pirate Honda and Toyota management
to run it.
You've got to be kidding; they wouldn't know what to do with the mess
left behind. The best bet would be to lease out the best of the
production lines, and sell off the rest for what ever they can get.
There is no hope for GM with a labor friendly government owning half
of the company and the unions owning another big piece.

I don't think there's much left of GM. @60k employees.
Wages are almost down to that of the non-union imports.
The retirement/health plans are being jettisoned.
But their management is stuck in '50's, 60's type mentality.
Cars are "romantic."
Yeah, well business isn't. It's about profit.
That's something Honda and Toyota know.

--Vic


I've gotten a few chuckles reading the complaints of the
"corporationists" that a 31-year-old "kid" from the Obama admin is sorta
telling GM what to do. Right, as if the 40 to 65 year old "seasoned"
auto execs that were running GM had a clue.

The U.S. auto industry has failed, and the failure is absolutely,
completely, totally the responsibiity of auto company management, boards
of directors, and shareholders, and the U.S. government and voters who
have and are still resisting the sorts of measures it takes to help our
car companies stay competitive with Asian producers.

The righties would like nothing more than to have disposable employees
who work for crap wages without decent working conditions, without
health care insurance for themselves and their families, and without a
viable retirement program. That, they think, will make us "competitive"
with the rest of the word.

Bull****.

Workers in most modern countries are not dependent upon their employers
for health insurance and many other benefits, and higher education for
their children is either free or highly subsidized by the state.

Perhaps if the U.S. car manufacturers "woke up" a few decades earlier
and discovered the Japanese were just killing them on quality, and that
quality mattered to buyers, they'd be in better shape today. Or perhaps
instead of supporting multiple car lines that were identical but for the
name badge, and the tremendous number of dealers such "duplicity"
required, and worked on customer satisfaction instead...well...

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

"HK" wrote in message
m...
Vic Smith wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:16:20 -0400, Wayne.B
wrote:

On Mon, 01 Jun 2009 13:56:14 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

The only hope for GM is to pirate Honda and Toyota management
to run it.
You've got to be kidding; they wouldn't know what to do with the mess
left behind. The best bet would be to lease out the best of the
production lines, and sell off the rest for what ever they can get.
There is no hope for GM with a labor friendly government owning half
of the company and the unions owning another big piece.

I don't think there's much left of GM. @60k employees.
Wages are almost down to that of the non-union imports.
The retirement/health plans are being jettisoned.
But their management is stuck in '50's, 60's type mentality.
Cars are "romantic."
Yeah, well business isn't. It's about profit.
That's something Honda and Toyota know.

--Vic


I've gotten a few chuckles reading the complaints of the "corporationists"
that a 31-year-old "kid" from the Obama admin is sorta telling GM what to
do. Right, as if the 40 to 65 year old "seasoned" auto execs that were
running GM had a clue.

The U.S. auto industry has failed, and the failure is absolutely,
completely, totally the responsibiity of auto company management, boards
of directors, and shareholders, and the U.S. government and voters who
have and are still resisting the sorts of measures it takes to help our
car companies stay competitive with Asian producers.

The righties would like nothing more than to have disposable employees who
work for crap wages without decent working conditions, without health care
insurance for themselves and their families, and without a viable
retirement program. That, they think, will make us "competitive" with the
rest of the word.

Bull****.

Workers in most modern countries are not dependent upon their employers
for health insurance and many other benefits, and higher education for
their children is either free or highly subsidized by the state.

Perhaps if the U.S. car manufacturers "woke up" a few decades earlier and
discovered the Japanese were just killing them on quality, and that
quality mattered to buyers, they'd be in better shape today. Or perhaps
instead of supporting multiple car lines that were identical but for the
name badge, and the tremendous number of dealers such "duplicity"
required, and worked on customer satisfaction instead...well...

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.




and corrupt unions.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:50:16 -0400, "Wishingtobefishing"
wrote:

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.




and corrupt unions.

That was largely a fault of management also. They were never willing
to take the long term view, suffer through a big strike, move work to
non-union suppliers/low cost venues, and build up the automation and
other production efficiencies that were needed. Meanwhile they
played the consumer for suckers by trying to sell the sizzle without
the steak.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:50:16 -0400, "Wishingtobefishing"
wrote:

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.



and corrupt unions.

That was largely a fault of management also. They were never willing
to take the long term view, suffer through a big strike, move work to
non-union suppliers/low cost venues, and build up the automation and
other production efficiencies that were needed. Meanwhile they
played the consumer for suckers by trying to sell the sizzle without
the steak.



Management gets the relationship with employees it deserves.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

On Jun 2, 10:09*am, Wayne.B wrote:
On Tue, 2 Jun 2009 09:50:16 -0400, "Wishingtobefishing"

wrote:
There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.

and corrupt unions.

That was largely a fault of management also. * They were never willing
to take the long term view, suffer through a big strike, move work to
non-union suppliers/low cost venues, and build up the automation and
other production efficiencies that were needed. * Meanwhile they
played the consumer for suckers by trying to sell the sizzle without
the steak.

I realized something the other night watching the news and the GM
debacle. Whenever you see an auto worker, you always see him with a
union logo on his shirt, etc. Always about the union. Maybe, just
maybe, if they would put the company that pays them first, they
wouldn't be in the mess they're in. It's almost like they are
brainwashed. Union this, union that. The union that TAKES from you.
Never do you hear them say anything like we're going to work harder
for General Motors because we want them to succeed. Making the company
that pays you succeed should be your number one priority if you want
that job. It's not hard to understand that if you aren't making the
company you work for money because you are a slacker, then that
company is going to fail.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:27:22 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

But their management is stuck in '50's, 60's type mentality.
Cars are "romantic."

I believe a CEO of Rolls Royce said that they were in the business or
making the worlds finest autos. They were supposed to be in the
business of making a profit, but they couldn't manage that. The highly
successful aircraft engines were supporting the cars. VW has these
1000 hp cars that sell for over a mil, and cost nearly ten to build.

Casady

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:47:06 -0400, HK wrote:

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.

You think the unions are blameless? It cost 75 an hour to have a guy
tighten lug nuts.

Casady

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

Richard Casady wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 08:27:22 -0500, Vic Smith
wrote:

But their management is stuck in '50's, 60's type mentality.
Cars are "romantic."

I believe a CEO of Rolls Royce said that they were in the business or
making the worlds finest autos. They were supposed to be in the
business of making a profit, but they couldn't manage that. The highly
successful aircraft engines were supporting the cars. VW has these
1000 hp cars that sell for over a mil, and cost nearly ten to build.

VW's are chick cars. They need a 1000 hp car to get the interest of men.

Rabbit? Passat? Cabriolet?

Tuareg -- What idiot did the market research on that name.

Michael More on GM, Future Autobuilding, Jobs
 

Richard Casady wrote:
On Tue, 02 Jun 2009 09:47:06 -0400, HK wrote:

There are many factors involved in the demise of the Big Three. All of
them are attributable to bad management.

You think the unions are blameless? It cost 75 an hour to have a guy
tighten lug nuts.

Pluse the guy gets to retire after 30 years on near full pension with
full coverage medical, dental and vision. If only I could have suffered
the boredom.