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You are here: MacNN Forums > Community > MacNN Lounge > GM to cut 25,000 jobs

GM to cut 25,000 jobs (Page 2)
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Skip Breakfast
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:01 PM
 
I have this to add: The Aveo is actually selling well enough to justify it. Even if it wasn't, Chevrolet would be forced to continue selling to satisfy CAFE regulations.

Kilbey's insistance on 2-door coupes is just plain silly. 2-doors don't move enough volume to make a difference. I've seen tons of people whining about the decision to make the new Dodge Charger a sedan. You know what? They will sell more of them than they ever would in coupes. Don't get me started on the Hummer H3 (which is a 5-cyl that gets a whopping 19mpg - if you're lucky).

GM needs to get on the hybrid wagon. cease production of the 3800 V6, and lead with product. Nissan recovered by scrapping everything and starting over. It's a different world outside of Michigan, and GM can't see it.
PowerMac G4 Gigabit 1.2GHz, 896MB, 2x 80GB WD SE, Pioneer 107, Radeon 9000 Pro 128MB

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Kilbey
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:02 PM
 
Originally Posted by ambush
Don't you ****ing get it?
Ah, a resort to profanity. How mature of you. I get it, you don't. You still live with your crazy mom and are unemployed. When you are supporting a family and contributing to society I might give you a little credibility.
Originally Posted by ambush
The Auto industry in the US has been on a constant decline since what? 30 years?
You don't know? Is that why you formed it in the form of a question? Maybe you should stick to the things you understand like buying and using illegal drugs.
Originally Posted by ambush
You're losing against Europe and Asia, it's as simple as that.
GM is making more cars every year. American car manufacturers are not losing to European manufacturers. GM owns quite a few of them actually. And large slices of the Asian manufacturers also.
Originally Posted by ambush
It's a matter of time before you get the boot.
As much as you wish it, you are wrong. My job is guaranteed until Sept. 2007. Guaranteed.
Originally Posted by ambush
Find a new job like now. If you can.
See above. *(and below)
Originally Posted by ambush
I hear you're good at wrestling... maybe you should consider a career?
Huh? I am a woodworker by heart. And I have been making a nice side income lately. My wife and a few friends are pressuring me to explore that venture a lot more, but I like my job. I have nothing to worry about by way of job market concerns. I could take two jobs at local high schools teaching building trades and engineering. But it would be a cut in pay and I am very satisfied with my current job.
Originally Posted by ambush
Hey, the most trusted name in news has a special page for you.
Most trusted for whom? Canadians? Sorry, CNN lost me when they satrted focusing on the recent celebrity of the week legal trials. Trusted... hmmph.

Listen ambushie, you really need to worry about your self. Your obsession with others is unhealthy. You need a new enviroment and new friends. Move out of your mom's house and into a positive mentoring relationship with an upstanding member of your local community.

*BTW: Go wash my car.
     
ReggieX
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:04 PM
 
Frankly, I can't believe the Aztek made it beyond the initial design sketches, much less to the dealer's lot. A friend bought one because his father-in-law works up at the Oshawa plant and could get the discount. What an ugly, ugly vehicle, and fairly useless compared to a regular passanger mini-van.

Kilbey: just put Ambush on ignore, it's not like he has anything of value to say most of the time, just the misplaced ramblings of a teenager who places far too much faith in the Seperatiste liars.
The Lord said 'Peter, I can see your house from here.'
     
Kilbey
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:04 PM
 
Originally Posted by Zimphire
[img]http://www.isa.org/Images/InTech/2005/May/052605chart.jpg[img]
Excellent, thanks for the chart. Ford and Chrysler at nearly overlapping GM. Very good to see all of the US manufacturers are steadily increasing.
     
Kilbey
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:10 PM
 
Thanks! WOW! Hyundai seems to have their act together. I have read recently where they are going VERY slow at production rates lately though. It certainly helped their quality numbers. If we have quality issues where I work I'll sometimes slow down a machine until the problem can be determined and slowly increase capacity after a repair has been made.
     
Kilbey
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Jun 10, 2005, 04:13 PM
 
Originally Posted by ReggieX
Frankly, I can't believe the Aztek made it beyond the initial design sketches, much less to the dealer's lot. A friend bought one because his father-in-law works up at the Oshawa plant and could get the discount. What an ugly, ugly vehicle, and fairly useless compared to a regular passanger mini-van.
It was actually created initially as a very unique and innovative concept car. Reception was very good in the media and with consumers so GM decided to make it. Unfortunately they cheapened it and remove most of the qualities that made it unique and innovative in the first place.
Originally Posted by ReggieX
Kilbey: just put Ambush on ignore, it's not like he has anything of value to say most of the time, just the misplaced ramblings of a teenager who places far too much faith in the Seperatiste liars.
Good advice, but I don't like to put anyone on ignore. His goofy ramblings and triads need to be addressed from time to time just to keep him in line and discipline him.
     
Scooterboy
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Jun 10, 2005, 11:29 PM
 
Originally Posted by Kilbey
It's nothing new. Job cuts were already going at that rate. Plant closings were already planned. I guess plant "consolidations" were already planned is the correct way to phrase it.

The only disappointing news to me was the lack of focus on Management mistakes and a lack of focus on the design issues. In my opinion, GM needs to get back to making cutting edge designed cars at affordable prices.

They have been playing around with financing gimmicks for too long.

It's kind of like Office space anymore. I seriously have 8 bosses. There are 4 hourly workers in my classification, but there are 8 bosses to tell us what to do and analyze how well we are doing our jobs.

We also have "Break Area Design Engineers". Basically, they are supervisors who have been written up so many times they aren't allowed to work with hourly employees anymore so they have given them made up job titles.

GM really needs to cut the salary workforce more than the hourly workforce. Salary is pure overhead, whereas hourly employees actually make product that gets sold.
Sounds like my last job. We had two full time hourly workers, one salaried, one manager, and 4 accountants analyzing our sector and constantly using up the limited software licenses so we couldn't log on and get work done. I was laid off, because the bean counters detirmined I cost too much money. That was because I had to work overtime everyday.

Let's not forget that old story about Lee Iacocca showing a UAW prez Chryser's shiny new automated factory: CEO Lee, pointing to the new robot welders, painters and assemblers, says to him, "Try organizing these workers!"
"Try selling them one of your cars", replies the UAW man.
Scooters are more fun than computers and only slightly more frustrating
     
Zimphire
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Jun 10, 2005, 11:32 PM
 
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
I have this to add: The Aveo is actually selling well enough to justify it. Even if it wasn't, Chevrolet would be forced to continue selling to satisfy CAFE regulations.

Kilbey's insistance on 2-door coupes is just plain silly. 2-doors don't move enough volume to make a difference. I've seen tons of people whining about the decision to make the new Dodge Charger a sedan. You know what? They will sell more of them than they ever would in coupes. Don't get me started on the Hummer H3 (which is a 5-cyl that gets a whopping 19mpg - if you're lucky).

GM needs to get on the hybrid wagon. cease production of the 3800 V6, and lead with product. Nissan recovered by scrapping everything and starting over. It's a different world outside of Michigan, and GM can't see it.
Chicks. Dig. Coupes.
     
Zimphire
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Jun 10, 2005, 11:33 PM
 
Originally Posted by Kilbey
Excellent, thanks for the chart. Ford and Chrysler at nearly overlapping GM. Very good to see all of the US manufacturers are steadily increasing.
I noticed Buick and Cadi was up there with BMW.
     
Kilbey
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Jun 11, 2005, 12:21 AM
 
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
I have this to add: The Aveo is actually selling well enough to justify it. Even if it wasn't, Chevrolet would be forced to continue selling to satisfy CAFE regulations.
That's what the Cobalt and Various Saturn models are for. The Aveo is simply a rebadged Deawoo. It's selling well because it's CHEAP! GM needs to make an compact American made car and give it a low price. Not rely on other companies to make cars for them.
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
Kilbey's insistance on 2-door coupes is just plain silly. 2-doors don't move enough volume to make a difference.
I am not talking 2-door cars exclusively. At least get them to market. There is a healthy market for 2-door cars. 2-door cars get the public into the dealership where they buy a 4-door. And guess what, 4-door cars cost more.
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
I've seen tons of people whining about the decision to make the new Dodge Charger a sedan. You know what? They will sell more of them than they ever would in coupes.
Wow! You should have Chrysler pay you to make marketing decisions. You're so business savvy.
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
Don't get me started on the Hummer H3 (which is a 5-cyl that gets a whopping 19mpg - if you're lucky).
It fills a niche market. They aren't going to make very many of them. It has 220 hp and 225 ft/lb torque. It has it's market and people are going to buy it. Just because you don't like doesn't mean thousands of people aren't clamoring to buy one.
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
GM needs to get on the hybrid wagon.
Agreed. Too bad they couldn't lead the market with the EV1
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
cease production of the 3800 V6
Huh?!? Give a few good reasons why? It's powerful, HIGHLY reliable, EXTREMELY efficient and clean burning. A six cylinder that gets 28-30 MPG with lots of torque and power.
Originally Posted by Skip Breakfast
and lead with product. Nissan recovered by scrapping everything and starting over. It's a different world outside of Michigan, and GM can't see it.
Except Nissan's quality is below the industry average.

Do you know anything about GM at all? Are you aware that a majority of GM cars are built outside of Michigan? And most designs come from California and the East Coast?
     
ryarber
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Jun 11, 2005, 12:26 AM
 
I agree with Kilbey about innovation in the auto industry. Any innovation seems to come from nonUS companies. US companies are usually thinking along the lines of bigger, stronger, but not along the lines of what most americans are thinking. I own a 2000 Toyota Tundra pickup and I love it. To me, american trucks are much like Windows, just bloated, full of empty features, and nothing really innovative.

The only US carmaker that seems to be doing new things is Chrysler. Chrysler has such a bad connotation to me that I'd hate to buy a Dodge/Chrysler product anyway. My best friend just got a chrysler 300 and he loves it, though. They are the only company that seems to have caught a vision for what people want and are moving up to challenge the Lexus', BMW's, VW's, Infinities, etc.

Not only do I blame management for not having the vision for what people are wanting, but I chant help but blame the unions for further driving up costs and quite possibly killing innovation.
     
 
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