The turmoil surrounding the idling and potential closure of four General Motors manufacturing plants in the United States continues, and Democratic Congressman Andy Levin of Michigan took aim at CEO Mary Barra.
In a new interview with Cheddar, Rep. Levin said he does not accept that GM’s choices to idle the Lordstown, Detroit-Hamtramck, and two other transmission plants are just “business.” “I am not happy with Mary Barra. I do not accept business will be business, they have to make tough decisions. The decisions she is making is to ship our jobs to Mexico and it’s not necessary.”
Rep. Levin added he’s thrilled to see the $300 million investment in the Orion Township plant, where GM plans to build a new Chevrolet electric car, but he wants to see more. He alluded to the fact GM is now the largest automaker in Mexico as it continues to assemble more vehicles in the southern country.
In 2016, GM paid Mexican auto workers $1.90 per hour. The current UAW contract stipulates that worker wages must start at $17 per hour in the U.S. Over eight years, the hourly wage increases to $28 per hour. GM said when it announced its U.S. manufacturing restructuring that ending production at the four affected plants will save $6 billion by 2020. The automaker also said when it was ready to allocate production of the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer that there wasn’t a U.S. plant with production space for the crossover. At this time, for example, the Lordstown plant was still running three shifts to build the Chevrolet Cruze. The factoid underscores that these decisions aren’t made in a week, or even a couple of years.
Rep. Levin added that the only reason many lawmakers at President Trump are upset with the automaker is because of GM’s apparent focus on Mexico production while it continues to shelve jobs in the U.S.
GM operates four auto production plants in Mexico that build vehicles locally for the country and for export to the U.S. and Canada. GM Authority has previously compiled a full list of the models built in the country and exported for domestic sale. Note, the list now includes the Blazer, which has entered production.
Comments
MEX avg daily wage $19 (GM pays $15 USD).
USA avg daily wage $171 (GM pays $136 USD).
Mex workers get screwed by corrupt union labor contracts & manufacturers happy to get cheap labor.
Ironically, for its own reasons, current US administration is seeking labor protections & increased wages for Mex workers.
Not a sustainable situation IMO.
Isn’t it amazing how Sean attacks President Trump and Republicans for standing up for the American worker and trying to save good auto jobs for Americans, but when a Demoncrat suddenly jumps on the bandwagon he doesn’t do the same?
And you wonder why the majority of Union members like me voted for President Trump in Michigan and our President has a clear majority of Union support and explains why unions are not protesting or even saying anything bad about him? Idiots like Sean and Alex make it easier for me to vote Trump again.
Golly, maybe if GM pays Queen Mary even more than $26M/year she might actually do something to save US jobs?
She is the highest paid automotive CEO last I heard. How does that happen with a company that needed a bailout to survive?
Other CEOs make a fraction of what she makes running legit car companies while successfully building in the USA.
I can only imagine what she will be making this year. I am sure that she got a nice big bonus for all those jobs she destroyed.
I read that Akio Toyoda made 4 million last year, all things considered.
Exactly!
Why doesn’t Machete Mary who makes $26,000,000 PLUS a year and who fires thousands of average Americans and Canadians take a pay cut or even consider one? Her company is failing and she is destroying people’s lives but more photo ops with African-American workers is going to change that?
Lee Iacocca took a salary of $1 and I believe Sergio Marchione (bless his soul) did the same thing. Did they get their perks other places? Sure. But at least they did not come across as total hypocrites they way Machete Mary has.
I’m a Conservative Republican and I totally agree, take care of American Workers FIRST.
TRUMP 2020!!!
I know that’s right.
It is really great to see President Trump not bow under corrupt globalist pressure and work hard to save and expand high quality American jobs. He is attacked constantly by the fake news but keeps on trucking. Guy has balls of titanium.
Barra could care less about American Jobs
Barra could care less about America itself. She is a selfish globalist that has no problem scheming and scamming her way to $26 million+ a year on the backs of the average American.
She would probably steal the coins from her dead mother’s eyes in the coffin.