Depends on the company, and whether or not you are an executive, lower-level management, salaried, or hourly.

For instance, at my old gig- an 8 year employee would get 8 weeks severance if they were hourly, but a salaried employee would get 12 weeks.

(1 week pay for every year of service).

However, my friend is an executive at his job, and whether he gets fired or laid off, he gets up to 2 YEARS of his substantial salary (1 year if fired, 2 years if laid off) and is free to go to work, as long as it's not with a direct competitor. With the title he holds, he'll probably get another job making nearly the same money, if not more, and could quite possibly make money on getting fired or laid off. How cool is that?! It's not fair for us that don't have it like that, but hey- that's free enterprise.

It's not fair, but I tell you what, that's the kind of job I'm working to get.
If I could get two years of my salary given to me today, I'd quit right now, take two months off, then go look for a job after the new year.

So, when you get an E-mail from your VP, Sr. VP and above saying they're leaving. If they didn't resign (and who knows, maybe even if they did) they aren't leaving flat-pocketed.

 

One of my best friends dad used to own a construction company and he said he'd take mexican labor over union labor any day of the week. Not just because they work for less money, but he could actually count on them to show up and work. None of this "Its too cold to roof today" or "its too hot be out pouring asphalt", they were out there any day they were asked to be out there and worked their butts off. Probably because they are grateful that the $10/hr or whatever they are making is about 5 times what they'd be making in Mexico.
He said he used to ahve union labhorers show up and they'd have watches with timers on them, after x amount of hours (usually 2) they'd take a 15 minute break, no matter what they were doing. Then after 4 hours, take an hour break for lunch. Then another 2 hours and take another 15 minute break. Why? because its in their union contract that htey are guaranteed those breaks so by damn they'll get them.

 

Well, I didn't know the Fusion was built in Mexico, but now that I know, I must say, WAY TO GO MEXICO!

We love our Fusion, and it's so well built, so quiet, and so what you'd expect from a Honda, Toyota or Nissan, That if someone were to take the badges off, and tell me to guess what it was, were it not for the same radio that's in the F-150, I'd think it was a Honda, Nissan, or Toyota...

It's that good...

So, if Mexico's building the Fusion that well, I say, shut all the plants in Detroit, move the HQ to San Antonio, and put all the plants in Mexico.
Except the Kansas F-150 plant... Those guys seem to know what they're doing too.

We all have a right to our opinion, but, this has to be one of the most racist statements I have ever read on this site:

 

Glad to hear you like it BigH. I would recommend that car to anyone I know without question. I don't think we've written a warranty ticket on one in months here, it is that good. The Mustang is almost there also. If Ford can ever get the rest of the line to that point then the Toyota threat will be seriously deflated.

 

I would have to say that you're probably speaking of workers that are from the border towns. The workers further down from the interior of Mexico are the one's who are hard workers who earn their wages.

Oh and Mountainqueer, that's about the stupidest thing I've ever read from you and that's saying alot. It's because of people like you that I go out and hire the scudsiest redneck, white trash lowlifes to do my dirtywork and I pay them dirt cheap. So if you ever need work, let me know, I'll hook you up.

 

The large amounts that were, and are still being offered to the blue collar workers @ Ford are necessary to get them to leave..
Seriously, of the 90 plus union protected employees that worked for me before I took an early retirement, over 80 of them had 25-35 years of service and had absolutely NO intention of leaving the company. What does that tell you???
25 to 35 years of service, work 7 days a week, knock down $125,000+ a year,don't have to bust your @ss to keep your job, union will protect you if your a goof off, work an average of 3 1/2 hours a day out of an 8 hour shift, work only half as hard and long on Saturday and Sunday, and on and on and on...4 people in my plant were over "80" years old and still working
Want to know the real truth on why the Japanese and Koreans have taken over the automobile business in this country?? And I almost forgot the best part, NO LAYOFF's, if we needed to cut heads for a week, a month, or even a year, we let the senority employees sign up to either sit in the cafeteria all day and draw 90% of their pay, or stay home and draw 80% of their pay, then call them back whenever they were needed or the union decided they should come back. They also could work weekends if they chose to sit it out in the cafeteria.....

 

We have plenty of mexican and latino construction workers here, and the majority do work hard. Some are becoming quite skilled in the construction trades and they will do well. They are embracing the North American dream and are doing well. Some are corner drug dealers and are trying to beat the system ( some with success, Rotten Vastards...) Pending conviction some get deported some get acquitted.



And Mattineer sounds like you work hard, put some of that effort into your spelling.

 

Well, someday you will figure it out but it will take two things:

1. A brain that is capable of a logical and truthful thought process.
2. Actual experience to speak from.

Apparently from your two rants that offered no “experience” you do not yet have either of the two…

I speak from 14 years experience working in a union factory. We own two other companies, one that had a union, and the other that never had one nor will they ever. They will close their doors and move their business if a union ever tries to form as will the other one that finally got rid of their union.

The one that got rid of their union, mainly because the majority of union employees voted it out, are receiving approx. 11% more pay on average then before. Productivity has risen approx. 35% since outing the union and that companies margins have grown from 5% to approx. 12%. Most importantly the moral at the company has risen well beyond what anyone could have predicted. Another great note is they fired approx. 15 – 20 people (former disgruntled union employees) and things couldn’t be brighter.

Our main company, where I am employed, has 6 different Mexico joint businesses (vendors) where we actually own a percentage of them. I have been to Mexico approx. 15 – 20 times for various reason and usually visit each of those businesses in Mexico.

Those particular Mexican workers earn an average of $7 an hour, which by most standards, is much higher then that countries average. They are the most dedicated and loyal workers someone could ever dream of meeting and it really all goes back to one simple and TRUE statement I made in my last post:

Mexican workers believe a job is a privilege whereas in America, a typical, not all, but typical union worker believes they have a right to a job.

In the company I work at, which has a union, many of the employees have very poor attitudes, believe they are entitled to make more then the current going union rates, full medical, dental, and on top of that feel its unfair they don’t get to participate in some type of profit sharing. Many of them truly believe they “deserve” the job they have and the company has no business making things hard for them when they can not produce what they are expected to produced based off time observations they participated in and AGREED with. I equate some of them to clones of welfare participants that feel everybody else owes then something.

NOBODY has a right to a job or a right to an income period. Until that belief changes you will see many more “union” jobs go away and either have those jobs moved to “right to work” states, or Mexico, or overseas.

I know the truth hurts but reality does not care what a human feels, reality is reality, and sometime its ugly and sometimes it hurts real bad.

So, please don’t blame me, or tell me I don’t know what I am talking about as I am simply explaining reality to you which there is nothing I can do, nor anything you can do about it.

If you’re a union worker enjoy life now, enjoy your paycheck now because soon, next 5 – 15 years that easy life, being paid more then what one is worth, will soon be over…

 

HI!... Well all I can say is that I have been through two FORD plants here in CANADA. The F-150 OAKVILLE assembly plant that the YANKS decided to close, and the WINDSOR ENGINE plant where the 5.4/6.8 are built. I tell ya, 90% 0f the workers there do NOTHING!!!!!!!! They have the easiest jobs in the world. I have many friends that work in the FORD plants here in WINDSOR and except for the foundry all the others can't believe they get paid so much money to do almost nothing. I work in heavy construction, mainly sewer replacements. My job is extremely labourful. I work 10-12 hours a day, rain or shine, hot or cold. When I get home, I'm dirty, smelly, tired and my stress level is through the roof. And for what? $18 a hour. I put in more physical work in one day than most FORD workers put in, in a week mabey even a month for some. Trust me there is not any FAT guys on my crew. Now we just got unionized and I make less money and have less benefits than I had when we were not unionized. Unions BLOW in my opinnion. The union rep even wanted me to take a pay cut!!! I told my bosses, if you pay cut me I'm gone! They can't afford to lose me so I stayed at the same pay rate. UNIONS, ya......................

 

Very good point; I have heard that this is a concern, but Ford would like to BUY BACK franchised dealers so they can actually get back into positive customer service---difficult to do as the dealerships do not want to give up their clout.

 

The Mexican fence jumpers that make it all the way to Kentucky, from my experience, are HARD workers. Just like mentioned above, they actually show up to work and don't complain and gripe about it.

Back on topic, I'm suprised that all car manufactures havent gone to Mexico.
Since NAFTA was passed back in the early 90's, MULTI-MILLIONS of jobs have gone to Mexico. It's almost all around more profitable for the manufacturer.

 

I have to speak in my defense. There were multiple offers(buyouts). I chose the $100,000. It does'n't sound like much but For the last 6 months I have been working one week then TLO(temp. lay off) the next. Waiting for the unemployment check. I went to getting paid every week to every 2 to 3 weeks. I have found another job. Pays about the same. Many of the other employees at our plant are worried what the next contract in Sept. will bring. I am not going to wait. If they don't get enough people to retire or take the buyout there will be permanent lay offs. Ithink it is going to take Ford a while to come back. Heck they just put all assembly plants, everything, even the F 150 name and design as collateral on an $18 Billion loan. I am going to take my measely $100,000, pay off my debts, invest a big part, then take the wife on a nice vacation. I always have my brother for A plan numbers.

 

YOU ARE SO RIGHT!!! I have two brothers here working for GoodYear Tire and Rubber, Fayetteville, NC Plant. They are both union workers. Oldest brother been there 32 years. He makes 37.50 an hour. He rides around on a battery powered scooter BS'ing with the union guys. He jokes about how he is just there for "8 and hit the gate" He really has NO job, NO skills and and makes that kind of $$. He drives a 2006 Corvette, lives in a 250K $$$ home and has a 20' Ski Natique along with a 13K $$$ John Deere 4X4 lawn mower. My younger brother, has 24 years at GoodYear tire and Rubber. He builds tires. and makes 25-30 dollars an hour. They are both union workers and are "ON Stike" right now for "Higher Wages", better medical and retirement plans... Unions were once great in the 60's but they are destroying the private sector of Big Business. I just wish GoodYear would move to Mexico like so many others and then lets see what the unions do for their members then... BoB

 

fordman, just curious can you give a range of salary you make? I'm not thinking exact figures, just curious. Obviously if you are making $150k a year, then $100k buyout might not seem like all that much. but if you are making $30-40k a year, and owrk there for 8 years, and they offer you $100k to get you out, that is an unbelievable buyout offer.

FWIW, my dad has worked at Qwest for almost 40 years. He is really hoping he gets laid off because if he does (assuming he gets laid off before htey go bankrupt) he gets a lump sum payout, whereas if he waits until they go bankrupt, or if he retires, he may only get a small fraction of that.

 

JUST A QUICK UPDATE...Business section this morning states that "Ford Motor Company in its attempt to cut its work force, did not forsee 30,000+ employees taking advantage of the buy-outs, and now will be hiring "TEMPORARY" workers to sustain its workforce""

"" WHAT A GREAT RECOVERY PLAN"....My god who thought up this restructuring program?????

I have often teased about writing a book on what actually goes on inside the companies plants, and their business strategies, now maybe I should follow up on that issue...If the American public only knew the real story...