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GM CEO Wants UAW To Know Job Security Can’t Be Negotiated

One of the reasons the UAW decided to strike against General Motors was due to union employees’ concerns about job security. After the automaker announced the closure of Lordstown Assembly, Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly and two of its U.S. transmission plants late last year, workers on GM production lines became understandably worried over their long-term prospects with the company. This was also one of the reasons why the 40-day strike lasted as long as it did, with the UAW looking for GM to commit to new American manufacturing operations in order to give its members a semblance of certainty.

However, the company believes that job security is a non-negotiable issue. Speaking at the recent Barclays Global Automotive Conference, Barra said that job security is something that employees must work toward and can’t be discussed at the bargaining table. Furthermore, Barra said that it will be making sure UAW employees know this going forward to prevent another lengthy strike when the new national agreement expires.

“There’s a lot of conversation about job security. Job security is not something you negotiate,” she said. “Job security is something that you earn. And making sure they all understand that and their role is something we’ll double down on as we go forward.”

Some UAW employees were left feeling underwhelmed by the new national agreement, which won’t see the automaker re-open Lordstown Assembly and won’t save either the Warren or Baltimore transmission facilities. However, the automaker agreed to keep Detroit-Hamtramck open under the agreement, with the automaker planning to allocate production of large electric vehicles to the plant, including its forthcoming electric pickup truck. When the plant is up and running at full capacity in 2024, it will be building around 80,000 electric vehicles per year. GM is expecting to employ 2,225 workers at the plant as well.

You can hear Barra’s comments on the matter in the WXYZ Detroit video embedded below.

 

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Comments

  1. Considering how many people have lost positions due to offshoring and robotics, Barra is not being truthful with her employees on the line.

    Reply
    1. The tone of this article and many of these comments is astounding. Hypocrites all!

      How many of these union proponents on here would offer ‘job security’ to their gardeners, with guaranteed security regardless of circumstances and job performance? If their financial circumstances changed for the worse how many pro-union types wouldn’t believe it is their right to tell their gardener, “I cannot afford your services right now”? Or if the gardener wasn’t performing to the standards THEY expected for THEIR money would expect to be able look for someone better or cheaper, or just do without?

      Who on earth would sign a contract with a gardener that restricts their expectations regarding job performance or requires them to agree to terms the gardener sets? I think anyone that has shelled out their hard-earned money to someone else for a service naturally expects to be able to set the terms—not the other way around!

      GM is ABSOLUTELY in the right here.

      If you want job security go make it happen for yourself! This whole idea that—at gunpoint—someone else is responsible for making your life secure is ludicrous and straight from the deceptive communist’s playbook.

      If you believe that your talents are worth so much then go prove it… you should have employers clamoring for your services if you are as good as you think you are!

      Or is the reality that you and your services are so unmarketable that your only hope is to use mob tactics to force others to grant you what YOU want out of life but cannot achieve on your own?

      Apart from the commenters, the ideology of this writer is clear from his word choices. This was not written from an unbiased, news-reporting perspective. He clearly wrote this piece (of sh!t article) using sympathetic tones for his like-minded comrades in the UAW while slighting GM’s position with phrases intended to make them sound self-centered.

      It is the hypocritical bullies in the unions that are self-centered. Much of GM’s outsourcing is ironically due to the unions’ self-centeredness (not to mention rampant corruption which goes hand-in-hand with unions).

      To the union types reading this, I say: Stop making others compensate for your shortcomings in life and pull up your britches and take responsibility for yourselves!

      Reply
      1. I would really like the individuals that are giving my opinion thumbs down to respond to some of my questions. Perhaps you can enlighten me.

        Do you not shop for the best product/service and price for your money when investing? Do you not expect a good return on your money or do you invest your money for the primary sake of the receiver?

        Do you not like the freedom to choose where to spend your money and who to spend it on? Have you never decided to not spend your money somewhere for one reason or another? Would you prefer someone else to dictate the terms on how you spend your money, particularly if you were unsatisfied or could no longer afford a particular product/service?

        If you ran a business would you want your employees to team up and dictate to you how they should work and for how much or else they will ruin you?

        Do any union members get to dictate their personal terms to the union?

        Charity is voluntary… otherwise it is called EXTORTION which is supposed to be illegal. What sets the unions apart from extortionists?

        Is not unionism just another form of tribalism and doesn’t that, by definition, pit you against those outside the tribe? Is that not being self-centered and injurious to others for the sake of YOUR profit?

        The irony and hypocrisy is simply overwhelming.

        Reply
        1. Yeah Ford Guy the thumbs up thumbs down deal, Ha, Ha.
          I did not give you either, As I see both sides, and they both remind me of my children.
          Both making excuses, both blaming the other, etc.

          But unlike you, I do NOT put all the blame on the union, and I am anti union !!!

          If GM just continues to let the , like you say, extortion go on, just so GM can have one more spot to place blame for their own shortcomings, and failures, is ridiculous.

          Its Jonnies fault, he broke the lamp, no I did not, you did !!
          Well both you kids can go to your rooms without your electronic devices until you work this out !!

          Now don’t get me wrong, I hate large pig corporations, and both the union and GM fit this category in my opinion !! Yet here is where I stand. All the laws are written by the pig corporations, both union and GM, the customer and employee are just out of luck on both fronts !!

          The pig corporations get tax brakes, purchase contracts, quantity buying power ( like health care ). what does the customer , employee get ? a job !!! Food after doing a service, a roof after doing a service!!

          I always say the only Human I don’t like is a lazy one !!

          But —- Here is one for you Ford Guy —–

          I was raised RePubLicAn, and a lot of you here say, well you are in charge of your own destiny, right ?
          I agree !! So if every American went to school to be a lawyer, doctor, CEO, the top of the top, who would do anything ? You don’t think that’s where we are somewhat at now ?

          In the USA nobody does anything, and nobody knows how !! OK some do, but when a doer is placed next to a non doer, and they both get the same wage, the standard always drops. The fact is the non doer never steps up, it is physically and mentally impossible. so the doer always drops down ( union )

          But that is where GM is also !! GM used to care about the people, back in the day, the customer.
          Now you see remarks like, GM’s junk 8 speed transmission is junk and GM will not honor the warranty, and GM has horrible customer service, ( I know from personal experience, not the 8 speed junk, but others. ) but the GM people here say, ” well they are all like that ” That’s a child excuse !!! So now GM has lowered its standards because ” others have “, WHAT !!!

          Both of the top people here are to blame, and just play off each other with blame to cover up their own shortcomings !!

          But this is where I stand, DO IT, GET IT DONE, QUIT BITCHING AT EACH OTHER !!!

          Workers —— Quit if you don’t like it !!!!
          GM ——- Quit signing agreements if you don’t like them !!!

          DO SOMETHING, GET IT DONE !!!!

          If GM could design a vehicle the customer wanted, instead of letting the DO NOTHING stock holder, or the DO NOTHING banker, make the final decision, maybe they could pay the worker to DO SOMETHING.

          Both sides DO SOMETHING !!!!!

          More useless opinion here.

          Reply
        2. Yeah Ford Guy the thumbs up thumbs down deal, Ha, Ha.

          I did not give you either, As I see both sides, and they both remind me of my children.
          Both making excuses, both blaming the other, etc.
          But unlike you, I do NOT put all the blame on the union, and I am anti union !!!
          If GM just continues to let the , like you say, extortion go on, just so GM can have one more spot to place blame for their own shortcomings, and failures, is ridiculous.

          Its Jonnies fault, he broke the lamp, no I did not, you did !!
          Well both you kids can go to your rooms without your electronic devices until you work this out !!

          Now don’t get me wrong, I hate large pig corporations, and both the union and GM fit this category in my opinion !! Yet here is where I stand. All the laws are written by the pig corporations, both union and GM, the customer and employee are just out of luck on both fronts !!
          The pig corporations get tax brakes, purchase contracts, quantity buying power ( like health care ). what does the customer , employee get ? a job !!! Food after doing a service, a roof after doing a service!!
          I always say the only Human I don’t like is a lazy one !!
          But —- Here is one for you Ford Guy —–
          I was raised R e P u b L I c A n, and a lot of you here say, well you are in charge of your own destiny, right ?
          I agree !! So if every American went to school to be a lawyer, doctor, CEO, the top of the top, who would do anything ? You don’t think that’s where we are somewhat at now ?
          In the USA nobody does anything, and nobody knows how !! OK some do, but when a doer is placed next to a non doer, and they both get the same wage, the standard always drops. The fact is the non doer never steps up, it is physically and mentally impossible. So the doer always drops down ( union )
          But that is where GM is also !! GM used to care about the people, back in the day, the customer.
          Now you see remarks like, GM’s junk 8 speed transmission is junk and GM will not honor the warranty, and GM has horrible customer service, ( I know from personal experience, not the 8 speed junk, but others. ) but the GM people here say, ” well they are all like that ” That’s a child excuse !!! So now GM has lowered its standards because ” others have “, WHAT !!!
          Both of the top people here are to blame, and just play off each other with blame to cover up their own shortcomings !!
          But this is where I stand, DO IT, GET IT DONE, QUIT B I T C H I N G AT EACH OTHER !!!
          Workers —— Quit if you don’t like it !!!!
          GM ——- Quit signing agreements if you don’t like them !!!
          DO SOMETHING, GET IT DONE !!!!
          If GM could design a vehicle the customer wanted, instead of letting the DO NOTHING stock holder, or the DO NOTHING banker, make the final decision, maybe they could pay the worker to DO SOMETHING.
          Both sides DO SOMETHING !!!!!

          GM makes cars they think they can profit from, NOT what customers want or need. Then when they cant sell the vehicle, its a failure. BUT the UONIO and the manufacturing employee is NOT to blame for this. However their job depends on the judgment of the decision makers !!

          So if the top at GM makes the decisions to make something they cant sell, the top still get paid and huge raises to make the tough decisions, yet the manufacturing worker has no decision making ability but to quit and not eat, or work and eat. It simply is not right.

          I do not know the answer here but if I were in charge of both I would start by :
          Getting in touch with the customer, I would have all engineers and engineering staff stop what they are working on for 1 month, force them to work 5 – 12 hour shifts doing nothing but calling customers. Starting with the ones with customer service case numbers opened within the last 3 years, followed by the ones who bought a GM vehicle 2 years ago or just to come off warranty !!

          Next I would have the customer service reps calling random people in each state starting with the people who have registered the highest number of GM vehicles in their name. Then moving to the people with the highest number of every other brand of vehicle in their name, by doing this you would be talking to ” real people ” who have driven a large number of different vehicles and know something about each ( why did you buy it, why did you get rid of it, why did you switch brands ) ETC.

          At least GM would have ” real people ” talking directly to the people making some decision.

          But again, GM simply does not care, GM makes what the stock holder and banker wants, when it fails, GM blames it on the customer and the manufacturing worker, and has to hire the lawyers to try to fix it !!!

          More useless opinion here.

          Reply
          1. Hey GMOwner for life,

            You sure have plenty of pent-up anger at GM. For your own mental health, you should consider buying a Toyota and start fresh…?

            Reply
            1. Being unhappy with the direction GM is going and my disapproval of Mrs Barra’s running of GM is separate from the company I work for and the product I drive which is a Chevy Cruze

              Reply
            2. Vivian,
              Went back through my notes I also talked to a Vivian at GM customer service.
              Could be you, maybe not, but if it was I just want to say again,

              Thanks for nothing !!!

              There must be some kind of strange thinking going on at the GM training centers for customer support.
              I have no pent up anger, mental health problems, I don’t live with my mother, actually the opposite as I take care of both mother and mother in law. I am not unhappy day to day. Actually pretty happy guy on average !! I have a great family, I have plenty of fun, have plenty of money, self employed, own my own business.

              So I know when you work for GM customer service all day long you have to listen to people with troubles. People who have an elevated sense of urgency do the fact that they have already exhausted all options at the dealership already before talking to you. But you see, for me its more of amazement than anger, or like you said pent up anger !!

              I simply don’t think if the public knew how GM handles customer service or warranty claims, that GM could continue to operate this way ! So you know how you guys are here, customer service reps, dealer reps, basically anyone who works for GM or a service of GM, preaching on how GM is great, and the new GM vehicles are great. Well I will continue to buy GM vehicles, but I will also point out your junk, like our 2014 Cadillac ATS, and the fact that GM does nothing.

              Anyway its lifelongGMowner, not GMOwner for life.

              And if you guys would have not listened to that lying service manager and researched that faulty designed fuel gauge , that we paid for, for $16.00, I wouldn’t even be here !!

              This wasn’t a free something, I did not want something for free, I already paid for the dealer to install the faulty part it just never worked. And remember it works now and I still have the old part and it is different than the new part I installed, ( newly designed part )

              All GM had to do was something !!! Do something !!!
              That’s all anything by GM and fine, anyone on the other end of the phone who knew something, anything about what the part was and that it had been upgraded to a new design !!

              Does Toyota have a HD truck ? last I knew not so. But you GM people just keep telling your customers to buy other brands, after all that’s why GM market share just continues to drop and drop and drop.

              O well, have a good evening.

              Reply
          2. It posts twice do to moderation of b I t c h I n g and r e p u b l I c a n .

            You cant write those words on this site.

            Reply
      2. Barra likes to lecture the UAW. GM’s stock price has never hit the price it had before she took over despite over $10 billion in stock buybacks to drive up the price. Every year the company losses market share. When she announced the plant closings she admitted customers don’t want the cars she approved. She’s right that there is no job security with her in charge. Blaming the union for her problems is like if you tell your gardner to plant palm trees in a cold climate and than blame him that they died. He’ll lose his job but it wasn’t his fault it was yours.

        Reply
      3. You mean the workers that work 6 or 7 days a week for 12 hours at $16 an hour starting out can’t expect a better payment and or job security? The ones what work day in and day out and got this company record breaking profits while coming out of a recession? The ones that signed away their concessions during the bankruptcy to help the company? The very same company that was supposed to give them these things back once the company turned around? The company turned around and they still aren’t trying to make it right.

        Reply
    2. GM violated the terms of the multimillion dollar tax abatements by closing plants that would make fuel efficient vehicles no one in city government did anything to hold them to that agreement. They also refused to answer Freedom of Information request about how much money they actually got how much tax they were able to actually avoid. So how does the UAW expect to demand job security now? not only is it not a mandatory subject of bargaining, but the UAW is the weakest it has ever been. In addition, General Motors is suing Chrysler over its sweetheart deal with the UAW

      Reply
  2. Job security is earned??? Please explain why our vehicle (the Terrain) was moved to Mexico when we (Cami) we’re number one in almost all measurable requirements? We continue to win awards and yet our current vehicle is also being assembled in Mexico. Barra’s only loyalty is to her own bank account and shareholders.

    Reply
    1. She is responsible only to the shareholders and to earn profits for the shareholders. Employees are expensive in your case very expensive ones. In order to remain viable in a global economy company’s needs to lower expenses. There’s no question they’re making more money as a company by moving production To Mexico. This should let you know the writings on the wall for the UAW.

      Reply
      1. That’s a very “modern” view of the Execs jobs. Perhaps she can turn one of her facilities into automotive version of the Triangle Shirtwaist factory. After all, workers are replaceable and it would save a bundle.

        Reply
      2. Would you accept less for the job you are doing? If people aren’t paid a living wage who will buy the products. If you treat your employees like shit, expect shit results. Your words sound very brainwashed.

        Reply
        1. Leanne,
          The goal of a corporation under a capitalist system is to maximize profits for shareholders. Basically, everything else is secondary.

          The welfare of employees or the country is completely irrelevant.

          Unless we change that mission, nothing will happen any differently.

          Reply
      3. Consider this labor is 5% of the cost of an American made vehicle…it’s not overly expensive but GMs upper echelon believe they deserve more than their worker because they got a degree well let me tell you those people with a degree wouldn’t last a day on an assembly line because most of them though they offer book sense have no common sense without us they have no vehicle and when you consider where they have shipped vehicles overseas to be built their quality is nowhere near up to the standards they set forth for the home factories

        Reply
        1. Moronic comments… try reality some time…

          Reply
      4. Ok. I can’t take it anymore. I have to admit I might work for the GM public relations section. I’m trying to make Mary look good. And it ain’t easy. I just might be trying to sway all the common sense with GM spin and misrepresentation.

        Reply
      5. I’m sure those Mexicans will buy a lot of them making $ 3 bucks a hr. …. NOT and the race to the bottom continues.

        Reply
    2. Mexican and Chinese workers don’t strike and work for 10% of your wages.

      Reply
      1. One of the largest strikes in North American history just happened in the last year in Mexico. 75,000 workers. It was completely blacked out by the media.

        Reply
        1. Duane, (BTW, not a very intelligent sounding name)

          “It was completely blacked out by the media.”

          Somehow you seem to imply that CNN, FOX, CNBC, MSNBC… all conspired to keep this away from the American public. And this would somehow benefit all of them for some unknown reason.

          The reality is that they all make their money by reporting 99% of the time on your political Gong Show. No surprise, Americans are incredibly ignorant on anything inside or especially outside their country. There’s no money reporting on the enslavement of the Maquiladora workers by mostly American corporations. This was the first time that the new Mexican government allowed their workers to strike. In this case they raised the minimum wage to an inhumane 60 cents an hour.

          Americans want cheap good and they’re not interested in the plight of modern slavery happening just beyond their borders. The country was built by slaves and now the standard of living is supported by the practice.

          You badly need to educate yourself.
          https://www.vox.com/world/2019/3/28/18251583/mexico-matamoros-factory-worker-labor-strikes

          Reply
  3. Maybe the GM company needs to realize that the people of America can by just American made vehicles. My Chevy truck, made in the USA and built by proud UAW employees has 400 000 miles with minimal repairs. Thanks UAW members. Proud of my truck and proud of you…not buying made in Mexico

    Reply
  4. People in Hell want ice water too.

    There are no absolutes in business so the UAW needs to learn to be competitive.

    GM is faced with demands of share holders, they are faced with an American buying public that is less brand loyal and more price loyal.

    There is a limit to how much people can or will pay. Everyone complains about Walmart and the many. Chinese products yet that is where they still go to buy most things.

    When it was just American brands vs American brands built by only American workers they could demand this. But today the dynamic has changed.

    The bottom line is if you want more security become a plumber and own your own business. Don’t get on an assembly line if you want security or to have long term employment. That is no longer the job it once was. The global markets have change it all.

    GM or any other company owes you a pay check for the job you did. Bu no company or corporation owes you a life long career. You career is up to you not them. .

    Reply
    1. The argument isn’t over the reality of working in the auto industry. They understand their plight. It’s over a leader that stands there and lies to her workers about reality.

      Reply
      1. She and no other leader of an automaker could ever honestly give job long term security to anyone.

        What works today can easily not work in 2 years.

        Case in point the Cruze. It was glowing red hot in the market and GM and the union both wanted th3 next gen at the plant in Lordstown. But then the decline in sedan sales came in fast and killed th3 car @nd jobs.

        Planning for new products take time and you just do not move a new model in in a year from scratch. This left a very large marginally profitable plant with nothing ready to come in.

        Same thing happened when they ended the Fiero. There were long term plans to install the GM 80 platform on the Fiero line in Pontiac.

        The GM80 was a fwd based Fbody replacement to compete with the fwd Mustang that ended up being a Probe as Ford kept the RWD Fox. This lead to a delay and then to a 4th gen Camaro.

        This led to nothing being able to be moved to the very large a Pontiac plant and it too was closed.

        It sucks but just the way the market works anymore.

        You want security don’t work assembly plants. I did and once I got laid off I went elsewhere and this year celebrate 25 years of consistent work. No more assembly lines for me.

        You and only you control your carreer not a company or union.

        Reply
        1. True, she can’t. The success of the “new GM” depends on the work of so many employees. Alternatively, someone on the line actually has nearly no impact on their future job prospects, unless they simply and obviously don’t do their job properly. So indicating that they do is disingenuous.

          Reply
          1. Often the union has robbed them of any say.

            Production is a major part of most white collar jobs but in these positions you can stand out and let your work help you advance, in a union situation you are lumped in one group with little say and little chance to stand out. The screw up get treated just as well as the employee who excels.

            Unions are fine for some but if you want control of your life and work you are better off independent.

            Companies and unions both are not responsible for your career. They both just cover pay and benefits and it is up to you on how far in life you go.

            Reply
            1. you very obviously have never worked in an automotive assembly shop.

              Reply
              1. Actually I worked on a production line for Sweepers. Yes it sucked.

                Pay was good but not much else. Got bumped by Sr union members and got laid off. I then found another job that was more inline with what I went to School for and I am celebrating 25 years this year.

                The plant I left closed up and moved to Mexico due to the union not agreeing to any reasonable deal. Today the building was gutted out and tuned into a Mega Church. The other plants down the road are now for the most part sitting empty.

                My friends lost everything and had to start over while most of the Union officials just retired.

                Reply
                1. 25 years ago C8.R worked on the line,

                  Yep that’s the same as today !!!

                  C8.R what was the ratio of CEO pay to worker pay to union dues?

                  25 Years ago !!

                  OK Boomer.

                  Reply
                  1. Do you call yourself a capitalist?

                    Reply
                2. You mean when you got paid a living wage so you understand what theya re going through? It’s not the gool old says anymore.

                  Reply
    2. Most people go to Walmart because it usually has little or zero competition.

      Reply
  5. If GM wants to save money and maximize profit, when are they gonna narrow everything down to just Chevrolet and Cadillac? They would be #1 in truck sales on the charts if they did. Is it so hard to put Chevrolet badges on GMC’s and call it a day? Do this before you decide to cut jobs for shareholders GM.

    Reply
  6. “80k electric vehicles at full capacity”, yeah ok another pipe dream while they cut products that sell much more numbers but can’t make any profit.

    Reply
    1. I’m guessing at $3billion for retooling and an additional 2300 employees the plant should have the capability to produce ICE trucks as well.

      Reply
  7. BS. Job security can be negotiated. Stop moving operations to other countries.

    Reply
  8. A load of BS!!! How common for employees to give their all and yet the company finds them expendable when quarterly earnings are not met and shareholders are up in arms.

    Employees are not considered assets but necessary expenditures based upon business needs. Time again, when a company needs to shore up its bottom line, one of the first considerations is staff reduction.

    Become an entrepreneur and call the shots for your life!

    Reply
  9. The sad thing is that nobody realizes that 60% of the parts for every car is made overseas. The days of our country being the leader in manufacturing is over. We are not a competitive manufacturing country anymore because of the unions being wasteful of money and lining their pockets. Why do you think the Japanese and Korean automakers are so successful is because they are non-union and can re-invest into making a better selling product. The big 3 cant fully because they have working demanding top dollar for installing a part on a car on a line. Some of you were correct in saying of you want job security then have your own business and nobody can depict how long you work or how much money you can make. Not everyone is an entrepreneur and if you arent and dont want to make your own destiny, dont complain. Corps want full control of everyone that works for them and believe me you are just another number to them. I learned that the hard way with my ex-employee and went out on my own with my partner and they are now suing us because they do not want us to succeed and we are beating them at their own game. They taught me so well how to do business that they are now mad I am not making them money. Again it is ashame that some corps especially the one i worked for think i am a slave to them. I left to better myself and they wanted nothing but the worst for me. It is too bad when you work for a company for 20 years and this is how you get re-paid. Regardless, everyone controls their own destiny. The ford workers did it right. Ratified a contract and took the bonus and didnt lose any work. The union for the Gm contract steered the workers wrong and what did they get, a bonus to cover all of the missed work time. Again I dont see that the union benefited anyone and dont think anyone came out ahead. I read about some of the GM workers being piased about not re-opening Lordstown but at the end of the day it is not about what the workers want. It is about being profitable or not and if there is nothing for Lordstown to build and cant build a profitable vehicle, then it makes sense to be closed. Again there are so many other jobs out there then just working on an assembly line so dont sell yourselves short. If you work hard and are good at what you do, you can probably make more and be happier instead of worrying about a contract every 4 years. Just my 2 cents. Chase your dreams and dont ever be saying what if I would have done this? Go after it. That is the American Dream. Not punching a clock for someone else.

    Reply
    1. Unions are prevalent in Europe, Japan and Korea. The reason why there are no labor actions in Japan has to do with the fact that the Japanese view their employees as an asset. One Japanese executive said in the 1980s of US companies “you treat your employees like a disposable razor: use them up and throw them out.”

      Reply
      1. It is also why the Japanese, Germans and Koreans have moved overseas to build many non union plants.

        Their assets as you call them have become liabilities too them. Just look at the violent labor strikes in Korea.

        Let’s not wax poetically like they do not operate like everyone else.

        Reply
        1. The main difference in the other countries automakers is vision !!

          Especially German, and Japan, well I guess all of them really !!

          They are more of a ” honorable ” company in respect to GREED !!

          In the USA we are taught at an early age competition and really GREED !!

          Really, its part of who we are as a people.

          With corporations having the same rights as people, this is how they view everything !
          Because a corporation has the same rights as a human, US corporations see no difference !!!
          Its all business, and numbers, and as I was trying to teach C8.R how to count numbers, people are not numbers !!
          But you see : as C8.R would say in that preach tone,
          Humans are not numbers.
          But the large US corporations really don’t even operate with numbers any longer !!!
          Its percentages !!!! Most large US corporations are greedy percentage operated companies.
          Its a money game,
          You see 2% of 10 billion dollars is 200 million dollars, this is the stuff GM sees.
          They don’t see the humans behind this, the 10 billion hours worked by humans, the 10 billion human customers !!

          They see 2% margin, Money people see percentages !!

          I remember my first stock, and stock person interaction, my person said my stock was up 20%, that’s great, all I saw was the dollars, still wasn’t that great in actual dollars. However more dollars at 20% is great.
          Then when it went down, I said to my stock person, look at the dollars I lost, he said its only 20%, and I replied, yes but you got your dollars, you did not take 20% less, you got your dollars !!!

          This is where the other countries are, dollars, humans, not just percentages, and GREED !!

          scott3 aka C8.R, says they are all the same, Let’s not wax poetically like they do not operate like everyone else.
          They do NOT all operate the same, just the customer interaction of the Japanese and Germans is NOT EVEN CLOSE as with the crap GM tries to convince you is happening.

          Just look at the GM lawsuit, against FCA, instead of making the humans that work for GM feel better about the GM of today,
          GM sews the competition over how HUMANS feel about working for the two companies !!!

          GM has no problem paying big lawyers money, PROFIT, yet when that same money, PROFIT should go to employees wages, or customers faulty parts, GM will not pay !!!

          Remember when the unions were started ?
          History ?
          The big US corporations would just rape the workers for all they could, and when the workers did not comply, instead of working with the workers, humans, nope they called the Pinkerton National Detective Agency, basically lawyers with guns to force the workers to comply !!
          150 years later, same thing, nothing has changed but the guns !!!

          And I see both sides, I talk percentages, I see long term, unlike C8.R and others here, I see and speak numbers !!

          When you are selling less X for money that people borrow from you, for the purchase of X, and X becomes worth nothing before X is paid for, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out when the down trend will arrive. And the only prevention of the down trend is money. You either give more to the customer to pay for what you sold, then they can’t pay for, or you give it to the corporation to keep then a float because the customer cant pay them.
          Look at the last GM bankruptcy, Look at the money GM borrowed a couple years ago to loan to customers to buy their vehicles. Its a circle, game, and now days there is a new move in the game, who’s the biggest liar.
          Its one or the other, maybe both, usually not both. But the time will be here soon as the customer is asked to pay more for something they cant afford and are not getting paid enough more to make the payment, soon it all blows up and people are done !!
          Cant get blood from a turnip !!!

          But just more useless opinion, like everyone else here !!

          C8.R, still waiting for those numbers justifying that new Vette !!
          I cant remember, are more minivans sold than Vettes ?
          That’s right, the vette falls under ego rules, not percentage rules !

          Reply
          1. I only read the last couple lines to see how mentally off this was.

            Just take a look at the year end sales for the next 5 years and you will have your answer.

            As for percentages an informed person would know many numbers are not release by the auto makers but they will do percentages.

            Now get some mental help. Again not a slight just for your own good.

            Where is your proof of the mini vans being a growing or even stable market. Put up or shut up.

            Reply
            1. AAAAAAAAAAAW, C8.R cares about little old me.

              HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA,

              C8.R, that is so funny, just wait 5 years you will see, man that is great !!!!!!

              That is GM’s most famous line, wait 5 more years, Cadillac will be great again. Wait 5 more years, Cruise will be worth 100 trillion dollars. Wait 5 more years, GM will have a better EV than Tesla and Ford, and Audi, I guess just all of the competition, just wait.

              But the truth has been proven time and time again about GM, its always wait and see, it will be great. Yet always behind the competition. You see GM still moves to slow. Mary has been trying and trying to get GM more nimble, yet still a bloated slow boat.
              Unless GM has changed, and there is no proof yet as so, we will wait five years and GM will still be 5 years behind.

              C8.R says:
              November 25, 2019 at 5:48 pm
              https://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/08/usa-minivan-annual-sales-volume-2005-2018.png

              Your numbers again !!
              Yet we will have to wait 5 years for you numbers justifying your ego car !!
              Scott3 aka C8.R wants me to compare a 20 year old vehicle line, with the best vehicle GM has ever produced.
              Ok, I will bite, I will say that this Corvette ego car, will never sell the yearly numbers as the mini van does in 2019 !!!
              The first two years will be an excuse factory for GM as it will take two years before the customer even gets what they want. Sure GM will sell a ton of the C8 in year two to three, all the boomers that can still afford one, who want it, will get it as the last hurrah. and a few novelty purchases, then down, down, down.
              Unless GM makes this an EV in year three, and that might be the plan, its just the steady low numbers of Corvette sales.

              Yet no matter what, unless GM figures out how to interact with the customer, its just a continuation of a slow death that started 40 years ago.
              GM is still just a boomer company, and had better step it up, and compete.
              The bean counters and stock holders beware.

              Just like C8.R, without a shred of facts, just my opinion !!

              Reply
              1. Don’t care about you. But it would get one more crazy off the street or out of moms basement.

                Reply
                1. WHAT, C8.R, you don’t care !!!

                  I’m running up stairs RIGHT NOW and telling my mom on you !!

                  MOM, there is a creepy old man on the internet who says he doesn’t care about me !!

                  Yet still no numbers justifying the EGO car,
                  O that’s right, C8.R says just wait 5 years for the justification numbers.

                  GM surveyed their customers and the majority wanted:

                  A 200 HP Cadillac mid sized Chevrolet SUV !!
                  And a 600 + HP 2 seater.

                  HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA, HA,

                  Reply
                  1. Well there you go.

                    No words are needed for the obvious.

                    Reply
                    1. OK Boomer

                      Reply
  10. To tony its not about what they pay the workers that affects the reinvestment its agreements like nafta that let them outsource to many of our suppliers for cheap cut rate parts. When you hear about all these recalls it not because of the line workers its because of all the cheap foreign parts all the workers in the plant don is install the parts. We need unions the company doesnt care about your sick kid or spouse or you being sick or on the job injures they want production numbers men and women working 10hrs a day 4 to7 days a week no time for family or relaxing thats why they get paid the way they do they give up alot.

    Reply
  11. Unions can be good at protecting abuse by a corporation, but the problem is, a union worker is hard to fire especially if they do a sloppy job or lazy job at something. I was part of union years ago for a big carrier company, and I witnessed far too many times guys that have been there for years slacked off while getting paid huge wages. Their was no incentive to work hard or to prove yourself because you were guaranteed a good raise every year with great healthcare benefits. You had managers and supervisors that shouldn’t have become one but did because of seniority not because of talent.

    Reply
  12. BTW I own a 17 Impala LT 3.6 V6 and I love it. It is one of GM’s best built vehicles and it has been very reliable so far with its mileage at almost 80,000.

    The quality is top notch and the car is wonderful to drive. I’ve had zero issues with it as well. The only reason why I bought it was because of how heavily discounted they are compared to other brands as they are an awesome value for the size of sedan it is.

    I don’t understand why more people haven’t bought the Impala instead of the lowly Malibu which is worse of a car in every way. The Impala feels much more premium, it looks way better, is very solid, and has a presence that most sedans don’t.

    GM has seriously dropped the ball on its vehicles. For instance the Cruze has been a disaster. My girlfriend owns 2012 Cruze with that crappy 1.4 Turbo and she has all sorts of coolant leak problems, and the head gasket blew since the water pump locked up. Hoses leak, turbo problems is just unacceptable for a car that has a little more than a 100,000 miles. It burns oil like mad too. I will have to say it’s a decent little car to drive, but that thing won’t survive past a 150,000 miles with some sort of major repair. Chevy’s reliability is very inconsistent with its smaller cars being the worst.

    I will never buy a new GM product after my Impala because of what Barra said that her focus now is on profits over market share. Well if you don’t sell enough vehicles your profits WILL go down including your market share which should matter to a big automaker like GM. What creates profits and market share? By building great looking high quality reliable vehicles which in turn, will create happy owners for a long period of time that possibly could come back in a few years to buy your product again and again. It’s common sense stuff really. You build a reliable good looking product, the word gets out and over time the demand goes up. But obviously GM doesn’t follow the Japanese philosophy of Toyota and probably never will as they only care about short term profits.

    But GM is so keen on profits, and now with the new UAW ratification deal, GM will have no choice BUT to cost cut and cheapen their cars and trucks even more than they are now. They have no choice but to do this if they want to stay competitive globally which is sad because we all know what this means. Serious cost cutting equals lower overall quality and lessens longevity.

    The days when GM used to build high quality solid vehicles is long gone. As an owner of a 64 Cadillac and a 87 Caddy Brougham, they are literally tanks on wheels and are very well made. Everything you touch (especially in the 64) is very nice and is much better made than most new high end luxury cars. All the chrome trim and chrome metal bumpers, the soft high quality leather seats and overall styling blows anything modern away. The new Cadillacs don’t even compare or can compete with the old school build quality of Cadillacs of yore. GM has lost its charm and creativity when it comes to styling its vehicles. Being the dominant and most advanced auto manufacturer in the 50’s-70’s, has fallen so hard for so long, that I don’t even think it’s possible they will be able to overcome their flaws and mishaps unless they unleash something revolutionary and amazing that it takes the industry by storm. Sadly they aren’t focused on that, but rather mostly ho hum products they can make as cheaply as possible. No thank you!

    Reply
  13. No employee, be it union or non-union, manager of blue collar, wants to be laid-off after putting in a measurable amount of years or decades. Especially when a pension is at stake. Didn’t Mary and her relatives supposedly work in a plant? She is lame.

    Reply
  14. Meh, job security lies with tax payers apparently. If the company makes bad decisions, the American people will just bail them out. Remember folks, “too big to fail”.

    Reply
  15. I am Pro Union to a point. Looking back since the Industrial Revolution, many positive things occurred due to Unions. Once the low hanging fruit was picked it became a game of justifying dues and existence. Where we are now is sad. Unions deciding which plants stay open? Those of you that own your business, do you think your employees should decide if you open or close a new branch of business? I don’t. When it comes to health care, break time, safety, those are issues Unions should advocate for. Not whether or not people get laid off, which plants are kept open, that is not in the “square” of the Union. GM should be free to make those business decisions without Union say. If the Union wants to keep more of their jobs around for longer, BE COMPETETIVE! Over negotiating because you have your employer by the short hairs in the end kills the goose that lays the golden egg.

    Reply
    1. As a Union member I ask thus question.
      How can a CEO get a raise if the company needs to cut costs? Sure GM has a right to be productive but GM also owes the AMERICAN public because WE bailed them out and they have had huge tax breaks. So now GM wants to produce more vehicles overseas. As an AMERICAN and have been a loyal GM buyer even after they cut my beloved Pontiac I will no longer be buying GM products!

      Reply
      1. GM owes the goverment nothing. They exchanged stock for the bail out and the Obama admin sold it at a loss. If they had held on till they were out of office the stock would have made money.

        As for CEO it takes money to get people able to run a corporation. Not just anyone would walk into a position like this if they could make more elsewhere.

        The job is 24/7 365 days. The job has many factors that if you make one bad move you could kill the company.

        To get to this level generally you have had to move several times around the world p, you miss your kids growing up and you you may be on a third marriage.

        The reality is this job has killed people due to the stress as any move you make people get pissed at you.

        Mary has done well under trying times. Those before her often kicked the can down the road too many times and only made things worse.

        The divisions they killed should have died long before they did but they got kicked down the road only hurting GM more.

        I too am a Pontiac owner and long time fan but I will be the first to say Pontiac lived on too many years and suffered in the hands of marketing people that had no idea what to do with Pontiac.

        Look at the G5 and G6 they were some of the better models but they were not Pontiacs. The G8 was a Chevy or Holden.

        Let’s face it even Lutz who loved Pontiac knew it was too late.

        Pontiac died when the last Pobtiac V8/was built or the Fiero that was the only real Pontiac engineering project in the latter years.

        Reply
        1. Move around, any employee who’s plant closed.
          Miss your kids, any regular worker who works shifts and overtime, 3rd marriage, auto workers have some of the highest divorce rates.
          Comparable rates of pay? Not even close. Japan has regulated ceo pay for decades. 10 to 1 ratio. Ceo cannot make more than 10 times the workers.

          Reply
          1. The pay a CEO makes even if cut out will never amount to anything for the line worker. While it may look like a lot to you spread out over the entire company it is nothing.

            That is the big lie unions like to use. The truth is most workers in many cases would be better off with the Union dues in their pockets.

            As for the Japan pay

            Actually, Salaries Aren’t So Different The Atlantic’s Megan McArdle explains that tax law means it’s easier for Japanese executives to pad their expensive accounts, which is just an alternate form of payment. “In general, you can assume that companies will compensate their executives in whichever manner is a) most tax favored and b) makes the headline number as small as possible–not just to avoid the beady eye of the regulators, but also to grease things past the shareholders. The American tax code is not very good at collecting money from corporations, but it is very good at getting companies to change expenditures into more tax-advantaged forms, which is why the once legendary American expense accounts became, by the nineties, rather meager by international standards.”

            They get their money just in different ways than we do. They are not taking pay cuts compared to the rest of the world.

            The Devil is in the details.

            Reply
            1. C8.R,
              If the devil is in the details,

              where are they?

              The details ?

              If Barra pulls in 22,000,000 a year in compensation, How many employees does GM have ?
              Are you talking total General Motors employees or just UAW general motors employees ?

              If just GM’s UAW employees at 50,000 or whatever( that’s the number people kept using for the strike numbers ) that would be :

              $440.00 this year, Just Barra !!

              Do you also use Ammann at 8.9 or 8.6 million ?
              Do you also use Reuss at 7 to 8 million ?
              Or just use the top 6 GM people at 50,000,000.00

              Do you watch the stock trades these people make? Ruess sold 11,000,000.00 in August ?

              Are you comparing 6 people to 50,000 ?

              Or are you comparing the corrupt GM top with the corrupt UAW top ?

              Now we have 6 people and 50,000 people and the amount is:

              $1000.00 per just those employees !!

              You see C8.R I am not saying you are wrong here, I am not saying you are right either !

              Just saying, all you and I are doing is adding to the rhetoric, you are saying nothing here !

              After all you said it yourself, the devil is in the details, yet you have,

              NONE !!!!

              Just more pro GM comments from C8.R, nothing new really !!

              OK Boomer !

              Reply
      2. William, GM doesn’t owe the American public anything. No more than Syria, Iraq or name your shit hole owes us anything. The decision was made by the Gov to keep GM alive. GM isn’t beholden to anyone for that bailout. As long as they upheld their part of the agreement, it is done. Even if they somehow were, how does that translate into giving the Union the ability to dictate nearly every aspect of running the company? And how for how long and to what extent does that OWE go on? That mentality is what contributed to putting GM in that position in the first place. If we want companies like GM to build things here, then we need to make it financially smart to do so. Being patriotic in and of itself doesn’t keep the lights on, it has to be a win/win. They can afford to build products in the US, AND do it because it is the right thing to do.

        Reply
  16. What stinks about her comments is that she has all sorts of securities built into her contract and turns around and tells her workers that they can’t have the same. It’s not unique to GM, but it’s still BS.

    Reply
  17. I predict that Mary’s job security will be limited based on her recent positions on product lines and domestic auto production . We can only hope the marketing folks convince the board to oust her and put a real car person in her place

    Reply
  18. What if those in charge ( Mary for example ) do something corporately wrong ! Such as make a wrong decision,and it affects the outcome of loss of sales! Does not that affect job security . Or is that simple a good business decision. Can’t hold Mary accountable let’s just get bailed out by the government again.

    Reply
  19. GM has lots of good product like chevy blazer from mexico the new trail blazer from korea, and trucks from the usa. What Mary is saying is old school thinking and out dated rules like senority based jobs does nothing to better the company.

    Reply
    1. Your an idiot

      Reply
  20. Job security has to be negotiated or Oshawa would still be open if it was earned!! We have the best quality in the world out of every gm plant! We were biq4 certified!!( that’s gm’s benchmark for quality) and we were only one in North America to get that mark! Our costs were cheaper then most other plants! So it is complete and utter bull shit that job security it’s earned!! So that bitch is just blowing smoke up everyone ass!!

    Reply
    1. Totally right Shaun,

      Closing Oshawa was purely a political move to appease the Trumptards South of the border and to prevent criticism from the liar in chief. The best thing Canadians should do is to buy cars from Companies who produce in Canada.

      Reply
  21. Mr Cadillac that Checy Impala you so love was probably built in Canada’s now closed car plant in Oshawa. LOL When I first started at GM in Oshawa there was 28,000 workers in 5 plants. Now only 300 work in Oshawa after our 3 shift truck plant went to Mexico. We lost the Camaro to Michigan as well as the Impala. So no such thing as job security unless your upper management.

    Reply
  22. Mary Barry needs to go before she runs Gm into bankruptcy again. This time I doubt the USA will bail her out again.
    She’s so far removed from the people that actually do the work at GM she’s not capable of leading the rest of the GM ‘sheeple’.
    Looking back they will say Roger Smith wasn’t really that bad.
    A few months ago she mumbled that shareholder value is no longer everything. Now she say that employees need to earn job security but it’s not guaranteed.
    Basically work your ass off for her for job security that you can’t achieve.
    She is an idiot.
    She thinks she can predict the electric car demand but she can’t see the demand that still exists for small cars.
    Mary Barry is obscenely overpaid and constantly underperforms.
    She’s not the only one that should be worrying about job security.

    Reply
  23. Barra needs to be walked out….replaced by a younger less expensive CEO.
    She thinks she is the only one that can do her job.
    She’s need to get some type of medical help or consoling.

    Reply
  24. People wake up they are going to ship everything to China and Mexico they could careless about the workers. If GM wants to leave let them and don’t buy any GM cars plus they are junk.

    Reply
  25. Job security IS NOT “earned.” If that were the case, the only thing that one would have to do is show up to work every day and do your job to the best of your ability. Whenever one works for someone else, poor management decisions like GM has made over the past 35 years cost people their jobs on the lower end. In this case, you could have the most dedicated workforce in the world, but if they are doing a great job building product that ultimately fails in the marketplace, their jobs will be lost not the ones of those who made the poor decisions in the workplace.

    The closest thing to real job security in the corporate world is in the executive ranks. It is very hard for an exec to be jettisoned in this day and age.

    Ultimately, however, job security is GIVEN by the customer. If they like your product or service, they will keep on buying it, if not they will go someplace else. At the end of the day, it is management- weather the owner of the company or the executives that run it- that determines the success or failure of the product and hence the demand for it and the job security that stems from it.

    Reply
    1. Tigger.
      Job security IS earned.
      I have worked for other places besides GM. I did a good job, did what was asked of me and performed well. That secured my job until I decided to change jobs.
      At GM you can do the same thing and mary Barry moves production to Mexico while making record profits.
      Screw you mary Barry.
      How do you become the largest car company in the USA? You shrink down from being the largest company in the world.
      The three stooges would do a better jobs than the GM leadersheep.

      Reply

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