Sorry Guys,
This is an industry I know well. For many years my livlihood was related to this business and what is obvious is that many do not understand what the truth is.
First, let's address the crane and "temp-a-spare" issue: General Motors was one of the first to go to full robotics for automobile assembly. Robotics were not adopted because it would build a better car, robotics were adopted because robots never complain, are non-union, don't ask for raises and they replace workers eliminating jobs for working men.
Robotics has always been one of GM's shining ways to eliminate jobs. Let's look at the hallmark car that was the first to use extremely heavy robotics in it's assembly. That car gentlemen was the Chevrolet Vega.
As a young kid, my biological Father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and he was in a position to work as the "go-between" for the Southern California assembly plants for Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Two of the plants where I spent a great deal of time as a kid on tours were the Chevrolet Plant in Van Nuys, and the BOP plant in South Gate.
After my biological Father and Mother split, we would often meet for lunch when he was in his business territory for S.P.. I watched the evolution of South Gate and the evolution of the Raymer Plant building Firebirds and Camaros in Van Nuys. By the time my Dad retired, most of the workers had been replaced by machines.
As GM was dumping workers and pensions by the ton they were buying other holdings. At one time GM owned Hughes Aircraft. Today, GM has assets that are staggering and at various times they have sold off these assets to keep the bloody car lines flowing.
Remember that as workers were leaving and have continued to leave, GM has bought the following: GMAC Real Estate, GMAC Finance (Real Estate Loans) Saab of Sweden. GM owns Vauxhaull of Great Britian, Holden of Austrailia, GM Electromotive Division builds railroad locomotives.
To bolster the car business they have sold off:
Frigidare Appliances, GM Truck and Bus, Hughes Aircraft, Detroit Diesel, Allison Aircraft Engines, Allison Transmission and many other holdings.
If you research the history what they have done is to sell off Companies that had Union Workers and they have slowly been diversifying their way out of the automobile business.
General Motors has had one of the worst histories of corporate take-overs and broken promises of any major manufacturing corporation.
The Oldsmobile division now defunct was not a purchase but a "take ovcer" and Randsome E. Oldsmobile went out and in spite of GM tried to compete by creating a new company which was REO Truck.
AC Spark Plug division was founded by Alton Champion. When GM did a take over he founded Champion Spark Plugs and that one survives to this day.
I have, in my lifetime worked Union jobs. I have truly seen both good and bad from union membership. When I was a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union in Los Angeles I saw total lunacy. When I was a member of the Local 47 which was the Musician's Union in Hollywood they did a great deal for me and they assured that I got paid for my work as a musician.
American Auto Workers are some of the finest in the world. The problem is not with the people on the assembly line.
GM is a company that began the trend of "design by accountant". A very close friend of mine taught Automotive Engineering. He placed an automotive engineer with GM. For the first 4 years of that man's career his job was not to improve vehicles, but to reduce the cost on said vehicles incresing the profit margin. His first job? To reduce the cost of wiring harness clips used under the hood of a car to less than 1 cent each. He was told by GM management that these clips only had to last the length of the warranty of the vehicle.
This is what killed GM. GM has in it's history as an auto manufacturer had some of the most innovative designs in history. In the early 1970's the top floor of the General Motors building began to give more and more power to the accounting department and the engineering decisions made by designers and engineers were being trimmed and cost reductions took a higer level of importance than quality.
It was GM management that cheapened the cars and went to the "throw away" cars that GM has been building. It was not the Union Workers who could only build a car with what they were given as parts.
If you want to hear and understand GM, read John DeLoreans book "On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors". It tells the whole story and also explains why they went to such effort to discredit DeLorean.
Chrysler was damn near killed by John Ricardo in the 1970's, and Lee A. Iacocca was the one who solicited and received a Government bail-out in the early 1980's. That bail-out was repaid early and with considerably more interest than had even been agreed to.
There is a great deal more to this than a slanted news report..............
This is an industry I know well. For many years my livlihood was related to this business and what is obvious is that many do not understand what the truth is.
First, let's address the crane and "temp-a-spare" issue: General Motors was one of the first to go to full robotics for automobile assembly. Robotics were not adopted because it would build a better car, robotics were adopted because robots never complain, are non-union, don't ask for raises and they replace workers eliminating jobs for working men.
Robotics has always been one of GM's shining ways to eliminate jobs. Let's look at the hallmark car that was the first to use extremely heavy robotics in it's assembly. That car gentlemen was the Chevrolet Vega.
As a young kid, my biological Father worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad and he was in a position to work as the "go-between" for the Southern California assembly plants for Chrysler, Ford and General Motors. Two of the plants where I spent a great deal of time as a kid on tours were the Chevrolet Plant in Van Nuys, and the BOP plant in South Gate.
After my biological Father and Mother split, we would often meet for lunch when he was in his business territory for S.P.. I watched the evolution of South Gate and the evolution of the Raymer Plant building Firebirds and Camaros in Van Nuys. By the time my Dad retired, most of the workers had been replaced by machines.
As GM was dumping workers and pensions by the ton they were buying other holdings. At one time GM owned Hughes Aircraft. Today, GM has assets that are staggering and at various times they have sold off these assets to keep the bloody car lines flowing.
Remember that as workers were leaving and have continued to leave, GM has bought the following: GMAC Real Estate, GMAC Finance (Real Estate Loans) Saab of Sweden. GM owns Vauxhaull of Great Britian, Holden of Austrailia, GM Electromotive Division builds railroad locomotives.
To bolster the car business they have sold off:
Frigidare Appliances, GM Truck and Bus, Hughes Aircraft, Detroit Diesel, Allison Aircraft Engines, Allison Transmission and many other holdings.
If you research the history what they have done is to sell off Companies that had Union Workers and they have slowly been diversifying their way out of the automobile business.
General Motors has had one of the worst histories of corporate take-overs and broken promises of any major manufacturing corporation.
The Oldsmobile division now defunct was not a purchase but a "take ovcer" and Randsome E. Oldsmobile went out and in spite of GM tried to compete by creating a new company which was REO Truck.
AC Spark Plug division was founded by Alton Champion. When GM did a take over he founded Champion Spark Plugs and that one survives to this day.
I have, in my lifetime worked Union jobs. I have truly seen both good and bad from union membership. When I was a member of the Amalgamated Transit Union in Los Angeles I saw total lunacy. When I was a member of the Local 47 which was the Musician's Union in Hollywood they did a great deal for me and they assured that I got paid for my work as a musician.
American Auto Workers are some of the finest in the world. The problem is not with the people on the assembly line.
GM is a company that began the trend of "design by accountant". A very close friend of mine taught Automotive Engineering. He placed an automotive engineer with GM. For the first 4 years of that man's career his job was not to improve vehicles, but to reduce the cost on said vehicles incresing the profit margin. His first job? To reduce the cost of wiring harness clips used under the hood of a car to less than 1 cent each. He was told by GM management that these clips only had to last the length of the warranty of the vehicle.
This is what killed GM. GM has in it's history as an auto manufacturer had some of the most innovative designs in history. In the early 1970's the top floor of the General Motors building began to give more and more power to the accounting department and the engineering decisions made by designers and engineers were being trimmed and cost reductions took a higer level of importance than quality.
It was GM management that cheapened the cars and went to the "throw away" cars that GM has been building. It was not the Union Workers who could only build a car with what they were given as parts.
If you want to hear and understand GM, read John DeLoreans book "On A Clear Day You Can See General Motors". It tells the whole story and also explains why they went to such effort to discredit DeLorean.
Chrysler was damn near killed by John Ricardo in the 1970's, and Lee A. Iacocca was the one who solicited and received a Government bail-out in the early 1980's. That bail-out was repaid early and with considerably more interest than had even been agreed to.
There is a great deal more to this than a slanted news report..............