factory mess-ups on your vega? here's why

Anything H-body related, but please use one of the topic-specific forums below if appropriate

Moderator: Moderators

factory mess-ups on your vega? here's why

Postby marco_1978_spyder » Tue Jul 11, 2006 8:08 pm

i just copied this...

Absenteeism has important effects on production. A local Lordstown official put it this way: 'When absenteeism gets really high, they go on general break and bring in the relief men. If that's not enough they pull in everybody they can get--cleaners, drivers, maintenance men, anybody. They're supposed to have 3 days' training, but they just shove them in as welders, though they may never have held a gun before in their lives. Then, of course, the vehicle is garbage.' This kind of thing can happen 'a couple of times a week or more'. (Sunday Telegraph, December 2,1973)

And heres a good one too::%. When a worker at Lords town was asked 'What is it like on a Monday, in summer, then?', he replied, 'I don't know, I've never been in for one'. (Sunday Telegraph, December 2, 1973)Another worker, when asked 'how come you're only working four days a week?' replied, 'because I can't make enough money in three'. (Newsweek February 7, 1973)
1978 Monza Spyder V8 4speed, posi
1978 Sunbird Formula V6, 5 Speed, Hatchback
1980 Sunbird Hatchback 4cyl, 4spd.
2006 Chevrolet Aveo 5 speed Hatchback
Yes, you can refer to me as Mark
Please visit my blog... http://chevymonza.blogspot.com/ Follow if you like!
Featuring special guests; Carl Beraytor and Ray D'atore

My Red spyder now has a youtube channel please Like and Subscribe!!!
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCOzzSR ... ISuing7KLA
User avatar
marco_1978_spyder
Senior Moderator
 
Posts: 5283
Joined: Sun Jun 25, 2006 5:20 pm
Location: Western, New YorK / Rochester


Postby fyrftr50 » Tue Jul 11, 2006 9:25 pm

Not surprising at all really, we hear the exact same things from the GM plant here in Oshawa. The auto unions have grown far too powerful and are chocking the life out of the makers and protecting the incompetant and immoral workers that know how to abuse the system to no end.
It is frustrating to know a guy (fiance's ex) with no education and little need for training driving a fork-lift for a living at GM makes the same as I do, gets ALL the OT they can humanly handle, gets 2 free weeks off in prime holiday season (July) including the regular holidays they are allotted, take extended lunches, naps on weekends and risk nothing going to work day to day. I know there are a lot of decent, hard-working people at these plants, but there are also a lot that abuse the privilage of their position that do not deserve in the first place. Makes me wonder why I continue to buy nothing but GM sometimes. :?
Bryan
Bryan
fyrftr422@hotmail.com

22 Mazda3 GS
20 Kioti CK2610HST
12 Dodge Ram 1500 SLT
80 Chevy Monza Spyder

MONZA, SKYHAWK, STARFIRE & SUNBIRD ... http://monza.homestead.com/monza.html
User avatar
fyrftr50
 
Posts: 2399
Joined: Tue May 23, 2006 2:36 pm
Location: Madoc, ON, Canada

1980 Chevrolet Monza Spyder

Re: factory mess-ups on your vega? here's why

Postby HotfootGT » Wed Jul 12, 2006 4:48 pm

marco_1978_spyder wrote:i just copied this...

Absenteeism has important effects on production. A local Lordstown official put it this way: 'When absenteeism gets really high, they go on general break and bring in the relief men. If that's not enough they pull in everybody they can get--cleaners, drivers, maintenance men, anybody. They're supposed to have 3 days' training, but they just shove them in as welders, though they may never have held a gun before in their lives. Then, of course, the vehicle is garbage.' This kind of thing can happen 'a couple of times a week or more'. (Sunday Telegraph, December 2,1973)

And heres a good one too::%. When a worker at Lords town was asked 'What is it like on a Monday, in summer, then?', he replied, 'I don't know, I've never been in for one'. (Sunday Telegraph, December 2, 1973)Another worker, when asked 'how come you're only working four days a week?' replied, 'because I can't make enough money in three'. (Newsweek February 7, 1973)


Typical of the American Auto makers in the 70's and 80's. Why do you think the Japanese moved ahead so fast. Find a copy of Alex Haley's WHEELS and read it. (Even mentions the Vega in there!). Its a look into the Auto manufacturing world. One statement I found amusing was that they didn't tune or design the suspensions for speeds above 65 mph. "Nobody will ever sustain those speeds for long"
Howdy from Hotlanta
73 Kammback "Little Buddy"
62 Skylark 215 CI Aluminum V8
71 Dodge D-100 Sweptline
User avatar
HotfootGT
 
Posts: 1146
Joined: Wed Jun 28, 2006 3:48 pm
Location: Hotlanta

1973 Chevrolet Vega Kammback

Postby Kenova » Wed Jul 12, 2006 9:12 pm

fyrftr50 wrote:Not surprising at all really, we hear the exact same things from the GM plant here in Oshawa. The auto unions have grown far too powerful and are chocking the life out of the makers and protecting the incompetant and immoral workers that know how to abuse the system to no end.
It is frustrating to know a guy (fiance's ex) with no education and little need for training driving a fork-lift for a living at GM makes the same as I do, gets ALL the OT they can humanly handle, gets 2 free weeks off in prime holiday season (July) including the regular holidays they are allotted, take extended lunches, naps on weekends and risk nothing going to work day to day. I know there are a lot of decent, hard-working people at these plants, but there are also a lot that abuse the privilage of their position that do not deserve in the first place. Makes me wonder why I continue to buy nothing but GM sometimes. :?
Bryan

I really can't argue with your statement because I work there and have said the same thing. Now this post may wind up being disjointed, but I'll do my best not to turn it into a rant.
Lets start off with the seniority of the workforce in Oshawa. In 1980 there were almost 18,000 people working in GM's Oshawa plants. There is now a little more than 8000. Think about it, since 1982 GM has been reducing the work force in Oshawa. As a result, up untill a couple of years ago, the lowest seniorty was approx. 20 yrs. That puts the vast majority of employees over 45 yrs. of age. I am constantly faced with the situation of having to explain to some 25 yr. old punk engineer why something won't work. Unfortunately my 26 yrs. experience of putting cars and trucks together doesn't mean much to them. It is this accumilated experience and knowledge that enables GM's Oshawa plants to consistantly achieve high scores for quality and efficiancy. If GM fired the whole lot of us and hired a bunch of young kids (who don't give a rat's ass for anything that resembles responsibillity), how well do you think they would do in the quality surveys? That's right, it would be 1970 all over again.
Now keep in mind that the statements above were made in the '70s and at one time had some credibility, but not now. We (the employees) are a lot older and a little wiser.
As for the work itself, yes most of the jobs could be done by a trained monkey, but monkeys are smarter and wouldn't stick around like we have. The jobs are very repettitive and can easily cause long term problems with muscles and joints. Imagine doing the same simple task every minute for the whole day. Take my word for it, it sucks and sometimes hurts.
I can't say what it's like in the US plants, but they do have a reputation for higher employee turnover. This results in a work force with less experience and knowledge. Remember, most employees know squat about cars and trucks, so it can take many years before some of these people can recognize a problem as being such.
Now I'll address the abuse. Yes, there was a time when a lot of people could bust their ass and have eight hours work done in three or four, but those jobs are long gone (remember those 25 yr. old punk engineers?) Now it's more a matter of busting your ass to get one job done then waiting 1/2 a minute untill the next job arrives. And all those guys that were abusing sick benefits during the '70s and '80s? Some are finding out they have to work an extra yesr or twoo before they qualify for a company pension. Looks good on the mfsobs.
Then there is the mythe of "don't buy a car built on Mon. / Fri. / before hloidays". With two or three thousand people putting a car or truck together, somebody is having a "bad day" every day of the week. That is why every manufacturer has (or should have) quality control, to stop problems from coming off the end of the line. Again, the experience and knowledge of the employees helps out more than you could imagine.
Many people like to portray autoworkers as doing their best to screw the companies. I hate to admit it, but there are still some peolpe around like that. However the vast majority of us rely on the auto makers to support ourselves and our families.
I have worked in other industries, but it wasn't untill I started working at GM that I learned something that I have found very usefull: "Everybody else's job looks easier than your's, untill you try to do it."
And yes, someone tossed a paper coffe cup into the door of my '77 Astre, and that was the very first spot that rusted through. I'd like to kick his french ass.
Ken
Were's my spell check?
User avatar
Kenova
 
Posts: 1641
Joined: Sun Jul 02, 2006 9:46 pm
Location: Ontario, Canada


Return to General Discussion

Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 13 guests

cron