Somewhere in that vast world of statistics, speculation, reprisals, negotiations, and media hoopla regarding American automakers lies a human being who feels he’s been stripped of the work that defines him. Suddenly he has been deprived of the only job he ever learned to do and probably did very well.
After outfitting thousands and thousands of cars, dressing up the dashboards and seats, installing the shiny control buttons and the finishing touches that will finally make a car roll off the assembly line, he’s been laid bare and now realizes that he too will roll off the assembly line. But here’s the difference: those cars that came off the line have found owners and homes; he’s coming off the lines with nowhere to go. The assembly line was his lifeline, and now it’s gone.
Let’s go over some facts:
- Susan Candiotti of CNN reports that General Motors has been home to generations of families that have worked with General Motors. Walk into any GM employee gathering, she says, and ask them if their parents or grandparents worked for GM. Almost everyone in that room will say yes.
- GM has lost $88 billion since 2004. At the end of last year, they had 61,000 hourly workers. It will cut that number down to 41,000 in the next 12 months.
- In its Flint North plant where 27,000 employees entered and exited the compound gates in the 80s, only 450 of them are left. It used to be the largest GM facility in the country. Most of its 220 acres of land surrounded by barbed wire is almost deserted (source: Cleveland dot com, as reported by Bill Vlasic and Nick Bunkley of the New York Times).
- Globally, GM made and sold cars and trucks in 34 countries and employed over 244,000 employees. According to an online article, they were the global leader in terms of sales for 77 consecutive years from 1931 to 2007.
No wonder then that GM had reason to be proud; Charles Wilson said “what’s good for General Motors is good for the country”, although some historians insist that those weren’t his exact words. Accurate or not, the opposite is now happening (“what’s bad for GM is bad for America”, as some people keep saying).
The aftermath of the ongoing troubles of not only GM but also of Chrysler and Ford are trickling down to the line worker who may be gone or who may be clinging to the last threads of his job.
Taking Auto Workers Seriously
Today is a good time to ask autoworkers to put their troubles behind them and take action. Economists are predicting that the global economy is in the throes of a recovery. Opportunities at self-employment may be brewing this minute.
Auto workers unite! You’re probably still reeling from the impact of a lost pay check and a reduced pension but many of you still have productive years ahead.
Auto workers with experience earned at any of the three large American car manufacturers could use their experience to perhaps pool their resources together (mechanical knowledge) and consider self-employment or a small start-up. Mechanics will always be in demand for as long as the words “car trouble” form part of everyday vocabulary.
Instead of relying on your unemployment insurance checks, use that money to start a small venture either solo or with your former colleagues. The US government welcomes would-be entrepreneurs and would only be too glad to support your efforts. Auto workers could start businesses and register those businesses in the names of family members, so that their unemployment benefits aren’t affected. Many might qualify for the government’s self-employment assistance program.
What can we do as outsders
As outsiders, let’s not be too quick in slapping blame on the workers. While we are all facing the unprecedented global recession,the laid off auto workers are caught right in the eye of the storm, their pain is for real.
Auto workers deserve our support. Remember, while the going was good, they were the ones who sustained that pace. And they paid taxes just like you and I. If any of you have any bright ideas on ways to support the Auto workers, please share them and will be sharing some of my thoughts in the next post.
Tags: auto worker, GM, job, laid off
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You know so many interesting infomation. You might be very wise. I like such people. Don’t top writing.
Thanks Konstantin, will be writing more and it is encouraging to get feedback. Hope you have checked the Articles section too, you will find relevant and interesting content there too.
Great article. I’m from Michigan and a GM brat- Dad worked for GM for 40 years @ HQ and overseas for Opel & Vauxhall. I have 3 generations of GM employees (union and non-union)in my family so I absolutely understand the situation. Plus, I am work for a global staffing and human resources soluntions company. The America and the world have never really understood the auto industry and it’s employees. No one understood or took seriously how big an impact GM’s situation would have globally.
I agree that our auto workers have some great skills that can be used in other industries and applications. What I’m seeing in the job market are a lot of people with poorly written resumes, inappropriate email addresses, poor interview skills and the knowledge of how to dress for an interview, and lack of knowledge about/understanding of social networking and how to use it.
The other thing is that how to find a job has changed with the amount of technology we have out there. It’s no longer about sending a resume to a manager and getting a job or looking in the classifieds of the newspaper. Now it’s about being strategic in how one stands out on a resume. It’s about mastering the art of buzz words specific to a job description or industry. For example, one industry might use Personel for Human Resources and another industry calls it Human Resources. Networking is also important, but people don’t know about sites like linkedin, or Twitter. Companies are recruiting on these sites as well as Facebook and myspace.
We also have a very interesting thing happening. This is the first time we have 4 generations (Silent, Boomers, X, and Y)working under the same roof with very different communication styles.
My company has been helping layed off workers in my area get back on their feet and at times we end up being therapists as they are also in shock, angry, and scarred that they have to now look for a job after so many years feeling secure they’d be at GM or any other company forever. It’s just like the Longshore workers out in L.A., CA. Those are positions for life that are passed down through the generations.
We have to find ways to help those auto workers find jobs by sharing what we can about getting a job or directing them to someone who can help them.
Keep up the writing.
Heidi, thanks for the insight and pertinent inputs. You are right, there is need to spread the awareness on new generation tools with this community and good to hear about the nice work from you on job. Every single act counts, keep at it.