GM Poletown and Warren Transmission shuttering

[wazootyman]

In sharp contrast to GM, the Asian and European auto makers aren’t dropping model lines and closing plants. The GM plant in Lordstown, OH is closing bc the Cruz isn’t selling. In Marysville, OH, the Honda plant is pumping out Acuras and Accords and no one in Marysville is getting a pink slip for Christmas.

Maybe, but their car sales figures are slipping as well:

http://www.autonews.com/article/2018...-sales-decline

As of March of this year, they were cutting production in Marysville, though at that time, no layoffs were planned:

http://www.autonews.com/article/2018...-sales-decline

Hard to say what the future holds, though.

I guess I'd take issue with your use of the term "sharp contrast". This doesn't seem that different.

[abraham]

I dont claim to know anything about anything but I keep hearing gm cant sell cars and they are their own victims for bad management at the same time I keep seeing the $9.4 Billion in profit for a years work. I think they are selling cars, and lots of them and they can manage my business anytime if they can even come close to 9.4 bil in profit.

[Pat001]

[[Sigh) The human toll is what's most disturbing. GM's multi-decade decline has wrecked lives and decimated communities. And it didn't have to happen.

It’s difficult to comprehend how far GM has fallen. GM was the world’s largest, most profitable corporation during the 1960s. Back then General Motors had roughly 50 percent of the domestic automobile market. Chevrolet Division alone had 24 percent. Today all of GM has about 17 percent. GM’s biggest worry was that the feds might break up GM under anti-trust laws. They don’t have to worry about that any more.

[313WX]

[[Sigh) The human toll is what's most disturbing. GM's multi-decade decline has wrecked lives and decimated communities.

It’s difficult to comprehend how far GM has fallen. GM was the world’s largest, most profitable corporation during the 1960s. Back then General Motors had roughly 50 percent of the domestic automobile market. Chevrolet Division alone had 24 percent. Today all of GM has about 17 percent. GM’s biggest worry was that the feds might break up GM under anti-trust laws. They don’t have to worry about that any more.

Instead, they have to worry about facing a hostile takeover or being split ala. Hewlett-Packard.

[abraham]

Dont get me wrong. As a mechanical contractor a majority of our work is with gm and Chrysler. This time of the year is usually booming with the shutdown comming and all. The two or three contractors I know who do alot of work for them are all slow right now. In fact I am laid off currently also. So it aint good but the recked lives and decimated communities. ok sure the communities were decimated but not like they roll out tanks and took over. Also we should take into account all the lives they have enriched and the folks who are rich or at least making a great living working for them. Its probably more than the lives destroyed. In the end you have to look out for yourself. Just cuz you get laid off dont mean your life is ruined. There are lots of jobs out there right now. Just not necessarily doing work for GM as I know all to well. Just sayin

[abraham]

[[Sigh) The human toll is what's most disturbing. GM's multi-decade decline has wrecked lives and decimated communities. And it didn't have to happen.

It’s difficult to comprehend how far GM has fallen. GM was the world’s largest, most profitable corporation during the 1960s. Back then General Motors had roughly 50 percent of the domestic automobile market. Chevrolet Division alone had 24 percent. Today all of GM has about 17 percent. GM’s biggest worry was that the feds might break up GM under anti-trust laws. They don’t have to worry about that any more.

Didnt have to happen? Its not like they chose to make it happen. they just decided we dont want to be the worlds largest most profitable company? the was folks portray them as being greedy I'm quite sure it was not their choice. I'm sure if it were up to them they would be way bigger and employ even more people and never lay off. I happened so I guess it did have to happen. The Lions dont have to suck either.

[313WX]

I dont claim to know anything about anything but I keep hearing gm cant sell cars and they are their own victims for bad management at the same time I keep seeing the $9.4 Billion in profit for a years work. I think they are selling cars, and lots of them and they can manage my business anytime if they can even come close to 9.4 bil in profit.

Their profit now is based on investment from 3-5 years ago. Most of us here are focused on GM's long term health.

[poobert]

https://www.freep.com/story/money/bu...ng/2114067002/

Gallagher's take. A little less watery than most of his writing, but not by much. It is not correct to simply say that it was a Polish neighborhood. By demo time, it was about half black. People get more weepy when it is old white ladies, though [[nothing against old white ladies).

And yeah, duh, the "naysayers" [[more accurately, those who opposed what has been retroactively been declared illegal) were right all along.

Jeanie Wylie's book on Poletown is a tad sensational [[they were lefty activists and don't pretend not to be in the writing of the book, which is honest) but interesting. A good read at a time like this. She passed away years ago and her husband was the rector of St. Peter's Episcopal in Corktown. I think he's since retired or moved on, but I went there in a past life.

[beachboy]

It’s difficult to comprehend how far GM has fallen. GM was the world’s largest, most profitable corporation during the 1960s. Back then General Motors had roughly 50 percent of the domestic automobile market. Chevrolet Division alone had 24 percent. Today all of GM has about 17 percent.

Yes, Pat001, you are correct. The American car market has changed much over the past 55-60 years. This graph illustrates ranking of car companies, their market share, and changes in ranking from 1961-2016. Takes a bit of looking at to understand [[esp. if you are color-blind)...

[Pat001]

Yes, Pat001, you are correct. The American car market has changed much over the past 55-60 years. This graph illustrates ranking of car companies, their market share, and changes in ranking from 1961-2016. Takes a bit of looking at to understand [[esp. if you are color-blind)...

The dumbasses had the biggest, richest car market in the world all to themselves after WW II and they fucked it up.

[Jimaz]

Yes, Pat001, you are correct. The American car market has changed much over the past 55-60 years. This graph illustrates ranking of car companies, their market share, and changes in ranking from 1961-2016. Takes a bit of looking at to understand [[esp. if you are color-blind)...

Here's a link to a slightly larger version of that graph:
Top Vehicle Manufacturers in the US Market, 1961-2016

[313WX]

Someone on another site made an interesting suggestion.

What the UAW and Unifor workers could do is go on strike all at once *NOW* as a counter to GM's heavy-handed [[not the word I want to use) tactics in order to force negotiations in their favor now, since GM has already admitted these moves were made with the 2019 expiration of their contracts in mind.

But I'm not certain the unions today have balls that big to actually execute such a move.

[313WX]

This is one reason why Michigan struggles to keep its young/educated residents and they're repulsed by the auto industry...


GM cuts evidence of decreased salary worker job security

For generations, the career path for smart kids around Detroit was to get an engineering or business degree and get hired by an automaker or parts supplier. If you worked hard and didn’t screw up, you had a job for life with enough money to raise a family, take vacations and buy a weekend cottage in northern Michigan.

Now that once-reliable route to prosperity appears to be vanishing, as evidenced by General Motors’ announcement this week that it plans to shed 8,000 white-collar jobs on top of 6,000 blue-collar ones...

Continue at link below...

http://www.winknews.com/2018/12/01/g...-job-security/

[313WX]

This is one reason why Michigan struggles to keep its young/educated residents and they're repulsed by the auto industry...


GM cuts evidence of decreased salary worker job security




Continue at link below...

http://www.winknews.com/2018/12/01/g...-job-security/

Another key paragraph in that article...

Ford, which is just beginning its salaried workforce downsizing, hasn’t said how many will go. But even if it’s half of GM’s total, the white-collar losses around Detroit will approach those during the financial crisis of a decade ago, when the metro areas shed 14,450 managerial and engineering jobs. That was 8.9 percent of those types of jobs in the metro areas.

[313WX]

Today’s Industry News: GM Still Has Massive Overcapacity Issues

http://www.curbsideclassic.com/blog/...edan-variants/

According to an Autonews article, these plants include:

Fairfax, Kan., which builds the Chevrolet Malibu and Cadillac XT4 compact crossover. But that plant is operating at 48 percent of capacity, well below the 80 percent that GM CEO Mary Barra is targeting as the average for North America.

A GM plant in Lansing, Mich., that builds the Cadillac ATS and CTS and Chevrolet Camaro is running at just 33 percent capacity, while the GM Orion Township, Mich., facility that builds the Chevrolet Bolt electric car and the Chevrolet Sonic subcompact runs at 34 percent capacity. A Bowling Green, Ky., plant that builds the Chevrolet Corvette works at just 27 percent of its potential output, according to LMC data.

[Wesley Mouch]

This is one reason why Michigan struggles to keep its young/educated residents and they're repulsed by the auto industry...

Any new sentence with the word 'struggles' can be safely ignored. Michigan is not struggling here. Its just work life in most of the world.

Unless you work for the feds, this is a truth of life. Nothing unique about Michigan. True everywhere in most industries.

I just read an article about the 'struggle' new hires in Silicon Valley have paying rent!

GM cuts evidence of decreased salary worker job security

Duh.

I suspect most of us who have ties to Detroit know a few salaried auto workers. This will hurt.

Nobody is guaranteed a job. Keep your skills sharp. Stay educated. Work hard. Save money while you get a decent salary. Remind your friends that your salary doesn't come from Toyota. Remind your brothers and sisters that all of your income comes from being more productive than your cost to your employer.

[313WX]

[/FONT]
[FONT=Verdana]Michigan is not struggling here.

^^^I stopped reading there.

Michigan has the worst roads in the country, the highest car insurance rates in the country, some of the worst performing schools in the country, the most dysfunctional "major" city in the country and has suffered a massive [[if not unprecedented) brain drain of educated/experienced workers over the past decade.

In any reasonable person's mind, that would equate to struggling.

[slick]

But the more than 300-acre site was home to a Polish neighborhood known as Poletown. It featured about 4,000 residents, more than 1,000 houses, several Catholic churches and more than 100 businesses.

If they close the plant, restore the neighborhood. Build a new hospital, St Joseph; a new bowling alley, Chene and Trombley; a few liquor/lotto stores and subsidized housing.
Restore the neighborhood?

[Wesley Mouch]

...Gallagher's take. A little less watery than most of his writing, but not by much. It is not correct to simply say that it was a Polish neighborhood. By demo time, it was about half black. People get more weepy when it is old white ladies, though [[nothing against old white ladies).
...

I live nearby. Never heard of Poletown until the planned demolition. Seems like a clever branding by the opponents of demolition to me.

[[Aside, I applaud CAY for holding GM to their promise to build in Detroit if a site that precisely meet their specs could be found. They bluffed, and Coleman called their bluff. Bravo.)

[[At the same time, I agree that this was an abuse of eminent domain. That while its not blighted now, it WILL BE, so we have to take it to prevent blight. Clever -- and bad policy.)

[Cincinnati_Kid]

^^^I stopped reading there.

Michigan has the worst roads in the country, the highest car insurance rates in the country, some of the worst performing schools in the country, the most dysfunctional "major" city in the country and has suffered a massive [[if not unprecedented) brain drain of educated/experienced workers over the past decade.

In any reasonable person's mind, that would equate to struggling.

Preach.....

[Richard]

^^^I stopped reading there.

Michigan has the worst roads in the country, the highest car insurance rates in the country, some of the worst performing schools in the country, the most dysfunctional "major" city in the country and has suffered a massive [[if not unprecedented) brain drain of educated/experienced workers over the past decade.

In any reasonable person's mind, that would equate to struggling.

^ okay I realize that it is a Detroit related site,but did you not move to Atlanta? Correct me if I am wrong.

I have friends that moved to the Atlanta burbs and they would never step foot in the city.Why?

Every city is the same and one can find all kinds of wrongs but if you do comparisons and time frames when other city’s went through 20 30 years ago what Detroit is going through now.

I checked comparable insurance rates on neighborhoods in Detroit verses where I am at,based on how the neighborhood is explained on this site,my rates would actually be cheaper with more coverage up there.

I am sure there is an argument in there but I have seen the city progress twice as fast as any other city,that may meen something different depending on where you live in the city but what city is not a mixture of issues that boils down to some good parts and some bad parts.

I missed out on some really good deals on houses up there during the crash based on the property taxes alone,but now they are working on that,the price of houses shot up,which is good.

I looked at a fixer upper house up there 5 years ago,6000 sqft built in 1920,at that time they wanted $7500 but the taxes were like 12k a year,it recently sold for $189,000 still in the same condition.

Give it time.

[Meddle]

^ okay I realize that it is a Detroit related site,but did you not move to Atlanta? Correct me if I am wrong.

And you're in Florida, so ...

Bluh-BLAH Blah!!

[LongGone06]

And you're in Florida, so ...

Bluh-BLAH Blah!!

I don't think that was his point. The post seems to be making an observation about Atlanta itself, not that 313WX is no longer in Detroit. Anecdotally, my wife and I had a similar experience when meeting a couple from the Atlanta area some years ago. They said they rarely went into the city and when I asked why, their response was, "it's not safe." I was more than a bit surprised.

[Richard]

And you're in Florida, so ...

Bluh-BLAH Blah!!

Correct on you missing the point.

He knows I am not judgmental on where one lives,you have to do what is best for you and sometimes change is necessary,I have been down that road a few times.

Every city has its good parts,bad parts and mediocre parts and even parts where everybody knows that it is not advisable to go site seeing there.

I do not put much stock in surveys or things claiming worst in the country,there is a heck of a lot worse out there,they are just not in the spotlight like Detroit is.

I can take you into neighborhoods in Orlando where the biggest theme park in the country is and the police will not even enter unless they have 4 back up cars,we would go to work in houses and have to be visually armed that could have fought off a small army.Cites hide a lot of things,because they do not want the image.

I just look at if the issues are being addressed.

So it is said that Detroit has the worst roads,okay,but I see people are saying that it is being addressed.

Highest insurance rates in the country,I disagree based on my own research personaly,but I also see the Mayor pushing hard to have that addressed.

Property taxes were a relocation killer based on services provided and quality of life,but even that is being addressed.

Even all of those stepping up and trying to preserve the cities past from those who want to bulldoze it because of short term gains.

It shows that people care and are willing to fight to make their city a better place,if all of that was not happening then I would agree Detroit is phucked.

Unfortantly there is a lot of catching up to do and it takes time and a whole lot of money,sometimes some patience and sometimes it takes a step back and looking at the good things in the city and what it does have to offer on the positive side.

Granted it does not fix anything but it may provide some hope,without that maybe it would be time to visit a change.

[Dexlin]

So quiet, so very quiet...
Fiat Chrysler to build Jeep in revived Detroit plant