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Wednesday, April 30, 2008

GM Job Cuts A Silver Lining. Come Again?

It’s unofficially official. The Janesville Gazette does not appear to be blaming labor unions or the strike against American Axle for the announced shift cut at the Janesville factory. Big headlines on Tuesday’s front page, Rising fuel prices fuel GM cutbacks, says it all.

Excerpt:
But the slumping economy and skyrocketing gas prices have put the survival of the Janesville plant into question, those observers said.
All things being equal, would survival or cutting 750 workers be a question if the vehicles assembled at GM Janesville got 28 to 35 mpg, regardless of high gasoline costs?

I have no idea where one can find a silver lining in cutting a full shift of 750 head-of-household jobs at any time, any place, any how. But the Gazette does with their editorial titled "GM's bad news comes with silver linings."
Editorial Excerpt:
At times like this, it’s natural to look for silver linings. And there are some surrounding GM’s announcement Monday.
Anyone willing to gamble that GM will hire back new lower wage workers at some of the four factories taking cuts now before oil hits $200 a barrel?

5 comments:

Anonymous said...

Talking about that Janesville has diversified is pretty sad looking at the companies they mentioned. None of those places will be able to replace what we are losing. Looking at that editorial the Gazette seems pretty content with it. They are about to lose alot of subscriptions. But that's ok they are getting rid of even more evil union members so it's a fair enough trade off for them.

Anonymous said...

I think your right about them hiring the lower wage workers. This is just the easiest way for them to get people to leave. The UAW opened the door for it with that sham of a national contract. What GM wants GM gets. They don't care about the workers or their families, either group, GM or the UAW. Rumor has it in the national contract (they so proudly said was great and now some reps are saying not so great but were told to shut-up about it at the time) that the UAW International jumped on the 2 tier wage because now all suppliers have to be UAW organized whether they want it or not. Thus adding to their numbers and dues. Do you smell the sell-out? The UAW is now a major shareholder of GM and Ford and Gettlefinger is on Chrysler's board of directors. Tell me who they work for again? It certainly looks like it's not the people that pay dues. What a sad thing they have become. Go over to freep and read what they are doing to the American Axle guys, talk about the royal shaft!

Lou Kaye said...

We could say that the high gasoline prices provided the perfect cover for the job cuts.

This may seem obvious, but I think unions and their workers are being blackmailed by the "promise" of globalization. America has sold-out, and these are the benefits -it's come home to roost.

Anonymous said...

People always hate to talk about when they are laid off. But as it has become every day's news headline since Yahoo started it with cutting 1500 of its task force last year, now a need of platform has been in demand where people can express their selves in words how they are feeling about their company, whey the got laid off was that justified or not.
And every thing they want to tell anonymously.And www.layoffgossip.com is providing you that platform.

Baby Bedding said...

God bless you all.

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