I don't necessarily agree with American jobs going to Mexico, but if you've got a better idea to ditch/nullify the UAW, I'm all ears.

 

"sorry they make $38/hr"

Here is another example of misconceptions about the UAW. People hear someone state the pay of autoworkers and all of a sudden everybody thinks it. I make nothing close to $38.00/ hr.

 

I have a good idea what the average UAW assembler makes, and with all due respect and in my opinion, it's way too much given the task at hand and the products that are turned out.

It's one thing if they're paid well and produce a consistent, quality product. I'm cool with that. But knowing how much UAW workers are paid, and seeing the quality (or lackthereof) of the product, something doesn't add up here.

 

Unskilled assembly line workers shouldn't make anything over $20, and even that is way too much.

Honda and Toyota dont have unions, and they're kicking our asses and keeping their employees happy at the same time, figure that one out.

 

Yeah, just like the defense industry. I build fighter jets and the unions are running it into the ground.

Gotta come up with a better one than that SB.

 

The low quality is in DESIGN not manufacture. Do some research.

 

is a lot better than most people think. Most problems people have is with a part going bad. That is not the assemblers fault. Ford consistently looks for cheaper suppliers. Cheaper suppliers mean lower quality parts. For example, last year they switched companies that supply the taillight wiring. The new suppliers wires were obviously not made as well. We had a vendor in, from Mexico, all the time trying to get things straightened out. This happened mid model year.
Look, I will agree there are problems with the UAW, but there are far more problems than the assembly line workers. When I have a problem with something I am installing and have to stop the line, the first thing the supervisors do is run over and yell to get the line moving. They don't ask what the problem is, just keep it going. That is managements mentality. The union is very concerned with quality, our jobs depend on it. But when management and the company continue to use poor parts, design vehicles that people don't want and consistently lag behind on new technology's (how long did it take to get satellite radio, GPS etc.) we wil continue to lose market share.
As far as making too much money I guess everyone has their own opinion. I am sure you can take any job there is and say they are overpaid. Especially when you have never done the job. Salaries are based on what the employer is willing to pay. Ford was willing to pay the current rate of the contract. Things were going well. What people don't realize is that we have received a 2% raise in the last 4 years and we voted to give up our current increase and give back some of our cost of living allowance. We most likely won't see any increase in the next 4 years. That amounts to 2% over an 8 year period. So the union is trying to help.
Ford builds the new Fusion,among others, in Mexico. Labor is about a quarter,if that, of US workers but the price of the vehicle is still $18,000+.

Something to think about:
The Big 3 employee 377,000 people.

The Big 3 impact 7.2 million jobs.

On average each car and truck the 3 sell in the US has $7000.00 more domestic content than other automakers.

The Big 3 have invested $38.6 billion in the US over the past 25 years. More than all other automakers combined.

The Japanese government consistently manipulates the value of the yen to keep it artificially weak. This creates a huge subsidy that amounts to thousands of dollars savings per vehicle.

In 2005 the Big 3 spent $12 billion on health care compared to $1.6 billion by others.

So there are many other factors, besides the union, that have put US automakers where they are at today.

 

at US/foreign auto plants make around $22.00 / hr. So I guess they believe autoworkers are worth more than most on here think.

 

I agree, parts from the lowest bidder do have a lot to do with it. But what is the assembler's fault?

I know, it was the assembler's fault for not saying anything about an '01 Town Car I worked on that didn't have a center front row seat belt. The floorpan never had a hole drilled in it for the stud to mount the seat belt, and never had a nut welded on the underside of the floorpan for the stud to thread in to. The seat was secured to the floorpan with only three nuts instead of four, which potentially could have been very bad in a serious collision. Now, someone had to bolt that seat to that floorpan at Wixom, and someone had to see that it only took three nuts instead of four. Why wasn't anything said before the car was shipped?

It was the assembler's fault for not saying anything about the '02 Navigator I worked on that wasn't equipped with the rear park aid system. The sensors in the bumper were there; too bad the module, the wiring, and the deactivation switch in the center console weren't. I thought these things were tested before loading onto the train? Someone installed a rear bumper that had park aid sensors on that truck. Someone installed a wiring harness that ran to the sensors. I guess the guy that installed the modules and the in vehicle wiring for the park aid must have called out sick that day.

It was the assembler's fault that several '05 Grand Marquis and Crown Victorias rolled off the line with improperly adjusted parking brake release handles. Someone installed the release handles and cables in these vehicles, and hopefully checked to see that the parking brake applied and released properly.

It was the assembler's fault that a Ford dealership here in town took delivery of a then new '98 Mustang Cobra convertible with Mustang GT brakes on the right front side, and Mustang Cobra brakes on the left front. I guess the GT and the Cobra parts bin must have got mixed up temporarily.

It was the assembler's fault that wiring in the 14A005 harness going to the passenger's side airbag pretensioner was smashed behind the parking brake pedal assembly, shorting to ground and turning the airbag light on in a 2006 Grand Marquis I worked on a few weeks ago. Someone drove this car out of the plant, and someone had to have seen the airbag light was on. Oh, my bad, "What airbag light, I thought that was the low fuel light."

It was the assembler's fault that we took delivery of 2004 Grand Marquis with leather seating in front, and a cloth bench in the rear. Someone installed that rear cloth bench, and someone installed the front leather seats. Between here and there, someone had to have seen that the seating in this car didn't match. Why wasn't anything said?

It was the assembler's fault that I've had to adjust the rear liftgate on at least 5 - 2006 Navigators right off the truck so the power liftgate would open and close properly. Some were so far out of adjustment that paint work was required afterwards, where the liftgate rubbed against the body. These gates were so far out of adjustment that one had to lean on the gate with a fair amount of weight to get it to latch shut. Why wasn't anything said?

It was the assembler's fault that several Grand Marquis were shipped likewise, with the rear door strikers so far out of adjustment that paint work was required after proper adjustment of the striker, since the door rubbed against the body. I know someone closed the rear doors in these cars when they were built; Ray Charles could have seen how badly the door fit against the body on these particular cars. Why wasn't anything said?

It was the assembler's fault (at the engine plant) that hundreds of engine oil drain plugs were left loose on 3.0 liter V6s in Fusions, Milans and Zephyrs.

I've got several more instances, if you want to hear 'em. Don't take this as a personal flame at all; a few bad apples screws it up for everyone. But I've seen this "quality" first hand, and if this is quality, I'm scared to ask "What isn't?"

 

Actually, I never said that the reason that Ford was having problems was due to the unions alone, but I think we all can agree that pissed off overpaid union workers that have a tendency to do bad work doesnt help you bottom line. All my point was that Honda, Toyota, etc do not have unions and they keep their employees happy and build a quality product at the same time. That goes to show that we do not need unions to succeed.

In fact Toyota has been used as a benchmark in manufacturing industries due to their efficient production processes and lean manufacturing techiques. I can promise you that they are not overpaying their workers, because they do a great job. If they did not do a great job, than they would fire them. In todays outdated unions, a worker can be a useless idiot and still have a job because the union will defend them. Shouldn't your skill and work ethic keep your job, not your union??

 

Unions are there to protect its members from being taken advantage of by the company.

You have to be kidding me about the PO'd union worker line. Sabotage is not cool, union or not, and whomever does it is subject to appropriate action.

Also, I bet the non union shops don't get paid well, due to the company sticking it to them.

 

umm dearborn is world headquarters...

The Wixom plant where they make the Town car, the other lincoln, T-bird and Ford GT is closing.

 

Most recalls and quality issues are the companys' fault, not assemblers. You get what you pay for, especially when it comes to wholesale mass-produced parts. Even Toy has a HUGE recall right now because of this.

 

I don't know any pissed off workers where I work. As far as "happy" Toyota workers, I do not know any but if u say they are happy I will take your work for it. Apparently only union autoworkers get "pissed off".

 

Change the subject slightly, Screwbuilder, what part do you play in the assembly process ?