Chrysler Auto Workers Busted

**Patrick** · September-24-10, 09:11 PM

So much for you UAW protection. These guys are gonna get fired according to this link and on the radio.

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertai...453/story.html

**Hoagie** · September-24-10, 09:37 PM

In the past, they would have gotten their jobs back eventually, maybe with back pay. We shall see. A lot of bad press to handle here. This might be a wake up call to others that act the same way.

**jt1** · September-24-10, 09:54 PM

Originally Posted by Patrick

So much for you UAW protection. These guys are gonna get fired according to this link and on the radio.

http://www.vancouversun.com/entertai...453/story.html

A double bonus for the company:

1. They can ensure that the PR is clear - They will not tolerate this.
2. They can bring in new workers at $14/hr [[Yeah UAW solidarity)

**Meddle** · September-24-10, 11:11 PM

Secondly, even though this was happening and wrong, FOX2 should be punished by us for purposely putting something on the news that is destructive to the auto industries resurrection. I hope that the employees are properly punished, but this should have never been put on the news.

I don't see it as destructive. I see it as a positive step in removing a threat to safety. The TV crew should be commended by Chrysler and the UAW for bringing this out to the public. With so many people looking for work, there should be ZERO tolerance for OTJ silliness.

2. They can bring in new workers at $14/hr [[Yeah UAW solidarity)

UAW gets new, younger members to mold for the future.

**skyl4rk** · September-25-10, 07:44 AM

In Germany, beer is considered a food product. A quart of beer at lunch is not unusual. However, drunk driving laws are more strict, with a lower blood alcohol level. Depending on the shop, there may be some jobs that also have blood alcohol level restrictions. A person who is doing physical labor and drinks a quart at lunchtime can do their job.

There are a lot of alcoholics in Germany. There are a lot of people under the influence doing their jobs in auto plants in Germany. This is not a good thing. But I don't include a worker who drinks a moderate amount of beer at lunch under the alcoholics.

I respect the rules here and understand that the culture is different. But national TV exposure for a bunch of workers drinking beer at lunch time is a witch hunt. The real crime in this situation is how incredibly crappy the beer is here.

**Whitehouse** · September-25-10, 09:33 AM

I couldn't understand what the fuss was all about. The quote taken from the article doesn't reflect the problem what was at hand. Only following the link posted below the quote made it clear what was at hand.

Here in the Netherlands it is strictly forbidden to drink on the job. In the Rotterdam port area the enforcement is even stricter. You can be subject to a random alcohol check on a plant, particularly in the oil industry. Rotterdam is in the top-5 of biggest ports in the world.

Now that the borders within the EU have been taken away, there's been a lot of influx of workers from Poland and other former eastern European countries. In particular Polish lorry drivers are under scrutiny these days. According to statistics they are very likely to be hauling freight while intoxicated. Accident reports are also a tell tale.

Chrysler should be implementing an alcohol check at the gates.\

I don't like the attitude of that stupid anchor in his respose to that the UAW would not want to react to this issue. "Of course the UAW wouldn't respond..." As if the UAW could contribute any sensible thing to this duscussion! The written statement was enough. The matter is crystal clear! What else could you contribute to the discussion?

Fox2 news did show some selfreflection by showing that last message in this clip. No one is holier than the pope.

**R8RBOB** · September-25-10, 10:19 AM

I haven't commented on this story until now. Since Fox 2 released the video on Wednesday this story has gone national and Detroit gets the black eye, again. That said, as a son who father worked 27 years at Ford, I know that this culture exist. That plant workers would drink and smoke or use drugs. This is not breaking news. This has been a ongoing event for decades. It is not right but it is what it is. The video is not shocking, it is embarrassing and the workers that were caught in the video only validated how embarrassing it was when they ran like rats on a sinking ship.

Something else to wonder: would this be a story if Fox 2 went out to Wayne Assembly [[my father's old plant) and followed various workers for 10 days? This story was able to go wild for two reasons:
1) It's Chrysler. American auto company on the cusp of annihilation and the government on its white horse comes to the rescue. America jobs are saved. Yay!!! On the other hand, Ford didn't take any welfare to survive. Why would we care about a culture at Ford we know have existed forever?
2) Barack Obama or should I say "all things Obama." What made this story a water cooler moment was a small edited clip inserted in the piece in which the President visited Jefferson North to proclaim that American workers [[or JN workers in the audience) were the best workers in the world. Had President Obama never visited Jefferson North, would this story had legs? Maybe because of the bailout connection but Obama was the cherry on top.

I do not support the idea of boozing it up and smoking weed but I don't want people like Wolchek to perpetrate that this is something new because it is not.

**CassTechGrad** · September-25-10, 10:49 AM

Maybe they were taking “Medical Marijuana” to treat their alcoholism.!! Or maybe they were drinking to help treat their pot addiction!!

lincoln8740 · September-25-10, 11:17 AM

Originally Posted by Goose

Alcoholism is a disease. We should feel sorry for these guys, they need treatment. I hope Chrysler and their benefits package will provide the necessary treatment, perhaps at an in house substance abuse clinic in maybe Florida or California for a few months so these guys can overcome their addictions and return to their jobs clean and sober.

I thought you were joking with the above post. To find out that you are not is very very sad

California or Florida?
Are you smoking weed too?
That would go over great with the taxpayers--Our money is used for a bunch of drunks to go on vacation to "find themselves"

Please tell me you are joking!!!

**fryar** · September-25-10, 11:54 AM

Originally Posted by skyl4rk

The real crime in this situation is how incredibly crappy the beer is here.

To top things off, the 40 is a bit of compromise on quality in favor of quantity, some might say.

This story has gone national? How strange. Yet another reason not to cuddle up on my couch with a blanket to watch the nightly news.

**R8RBOB** · September-25-10, 11:58 AM

Originally Posted by fryar

To top things off, the 40 is a bit of compromise on quality in favor of quantity, some might say.

This story has gone national? How strange. Yet another reason not to cuddle up on my couch with a blanket to watch the nightly news.

Fox 2 Detroit KNEW the story would go national as so as they mention that damn socialist[[just satire) Barack Obama. That is why I won't give Fox 2 kudos. Without Obama in the story, its just a story about a bunch of guys getting high.

Buy American · September-25-10, 02:31 PM

I don't understand those on here who are very quick to "shoot the messenger". I appreciated Steve Wilson, Rob, Heather....all of those who exposed thug KK and his entourage....nothing different about this story.

**blackmath** · September-25-10, 02:39 PM

Originally Posted by fryar

To top things off, the 40 is a bit of compromise on quality in favor of quantity, some might say.

This story has gone national? How strange. Yet another reason not to cuddle up on my couch with a blanket to watch the nightly news.

What do having sex in a canoe and American beer have in common?
They're both fucking close to water.

Stosh · September-25-10, 02:49 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

I don't understand those on here who are very quick to "shoot the messenger". I appreciated Steve Wilson, Rob, Heather....all of those who exposed thug KK and his entourage....nothing different about this story.

It's a purely political story. Rob is a tool for Rupert Murdoch and FOX news.

**Meddle** · September-25-10, 03:06 PM

It's a purely political story. Rob is a tool for Rupert Murdoch and FOX news.

OK, now what have YOU been smoking?

**R8RBOB** · September-25-10, 03:24 PM

Originally Posted by Buy American

I don't understand those on here who are very quick to "shoot the messenger". I appreciated Steve Wilson, Rob, Heather....all of those who exposed thug KK and his entourage....nothing different about this story.

I think people are ready to "shoot the messenger" because it was not a long kept secret. If you were born in Michigan, you were connected to the auto industry if you worked there or not. If you knew someone who worked at the plant then you know what they do. You know the culture and it's not pretty. Wolchek didn't expose some deep dark secret that has been kept under wraps for decades, he simply retold the tale we heard from others to a much larger audience.

It's a purely political story. Rob is a tool for Rupert Murdoch and FOX news.

Not sure about the second part. That remains to be seen but the first part of the statement; well........

It was political, no doubt about that. Fox 2 Detroit knew the moment plant worker drinking and Barack Obama was put in the same story, it would go national [[Fox News, Huffington Post) and have talking heads like Rush Limbaugh talking about it. Obama's only mistake was to visit that plant.

Stosh · September-25-10, 03:50 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

It's a purely political story. Rob is a tool for Rupert Murdoch and FOX news.

OK, now what have YOU been smoking?

Check on Channel 4 and 7. They are decidedly NOT covering it, so it's all FOX political BS. Not surprising this election year. Sacrificing the poor dupes at Jefferson for a slap at Obama. Fox news strictly sucks ass.

You have to keep in mind that the staff and station at Fox 2 are directly owned and operated by Murdoch and his goons. Not a Detroit station, technically, at all. FOX 2 is a 'national' station in the regards that they are slickly packaged and formula driven. Check out the page below for where they get their schtick.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/WJBK

**Meddle** · September-25-10, 04:25 PM

Fox news strictly sucks ass.

I won't argue that at all. That's why they're known as FAUX News.

But I still don't see how production line workers drinking is anything but a safety issue.

Stosh · September-25-10, 04:42 PM

Originally Posted by Meddle

Fox news strictly sucks ass.

I won't argue that at all. That's why they're known as FAUX News.

But I still don't see how production line workers drinking is anything but a safety issue.

Sure, safety for who? Other workers? Please. Believe me, that 40 ouncer probably has little to no effect on the job performance of a drinker that does this every day. But still political, still a sham, still Fox.

**rjk** · September-25-10, 05:08 PM

Originally Posted by Stosh

Check on Channel 4 and 7. They are decidedly NOT covering it, so it's all FOX political BS.

As competitive as local new is, why would 4 and 7 cover a story that is channel 2's baby? The people at 4 and 7 would probably give their left arm to have filmed that video.

Repeating jt1's point, but if management wasn't following worker safety rules to the letter people would be bitching up a storm. Worker safety can't just be a one way street with the finger being pointed at management to provide a safe work place. It helps when the workers show up sober as most of them do. It baffles me that some of you are comfortable with most of them being sober.

Stosh · September-25-10, 05:38 PM

Originally Posted by rjk

As competitive as local new is, why would 4 and 7 cover a story that is channel 2's baby? The people at 4 and 7 would probably give their left arm to have filmed that video.

Repeating jt1's point, but if management wasn't following worker safety rules to the letter people would be bitching up a storm. Worker safety can't just be a one way street with the finger being pointed at management to provide a safe work place. It helps when the workers show up sober as most of them do. It baffles me that some of you are comfortable with most of them being sober.

OH, and BTW, they probably weren't even legally drunk.

According to the website below, the blood alcohol level of these guys never reached .08 at all, which is the legal definition of being drunk, correct? A 40 ouncer drank in 0 hours [[under 60 minutes) by a person 200 pounds will give you a BAC of what? .055. Sure the hell isn't .08.

http://www.ou.edu/oupd/bac.htm

**Downriviera** · September-25-10, 06:22 PM

The best thing for these guys is if they get fired. Then they get their own reality show. Millions will watch them smoke and drink every week. The Situation has nothing on these guys.

**jcole** · September-25-10, 07:27 PM

If Wolchak was so concerned about these guys endangering people by drinking and smoking on their lunch hour, why did they not call the police and stop them from driving after imbibing? Apparently the story was more important to him than the safety of other drivers who might encounter them on their way back to work.

**rjk** · September-25-10, 07:50 PM

I have no desire to get into a dictionary argument over the meaning of the words sober and drunk with you.
Threre's nothing in their contract that says they can show up to work beneath a certain alcohol level. Chrysler rules state that they cannot be under the influence of alcohol while on company property. Is that an unreasonable rule?

**R8RBOB** · September-25-10, 08:36 PM

Originally Posted by jcole

If Wolchak was so concerned about these guys endangering people by drinking and smoking on their lunch hour, why did they not call the police and stop them from driving after imbibing? Apparently the story was more important to him than the safety of other drivers who might encounter them on their way back to work.

Good point. Wolchek piece mirrors that of Scott Lewis' "I'm was a victim too" piece with the car break-ins. Lewis and his crew watched two crooks break into a ride and not one of them got on their cell phones and called 911. Wolchek could have called police and told them that these guys were boozing it up everyday since he and his crew were following them for 10 days but he didn't just like Lewis. The story was more important.