Buried in a Detroit News story about further disruption at GM– courtesy of the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike at American Axle (AA)– we learn GM has "found" enough parts to restart production in Oshawa, Ontario and Fort Wayne, Ind. (Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups). This after GM announced that they'd "found" enough Malibu parts to hold-off a shutdown for an "extra week." Turns out the fortuitous happenstance comes courtesy of American Axle's Mexican ops. "[GM Spokesman Dan] Flores wouldn't specify where the parts are coming from, though several analysts have said GM is likely using parts from an American Axle plant in Mexico. The move is evidence American Axle's ability to get parts from Mexico gives it leverage in the dispute with the UAW, said labor expert Harley Shaiken of the University of California Berkley [sic]." So… why aren't the United Auto Workers bosses screaming bloody murder and threatening to strike GM in support of their members at AA? Maybe it's because The Star-Telegram reports "GM leaders have decided to divert the Arlington plant's supply of truck axles to other plants in order to augment production of pickups affected by the ongoing UAW strike against American Axle." We report, we're confused.
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Robert, I believe sympathy strikes have been illegal since the 1950’s. A local representing say a GM plant can’t go on strike in support of conditions at Ford or in this case American axle.
Uh, well, they could still scream bloody murder…
How does this relate to the Malibu situation? GM was already sourcing the parts from Mexico for it’s Silao plant, so it’s not a stretch that by cranking up production down there they could bank enough parts to run a few shifts in other NA truck plants.
Malibus aren’t built in Mexico, and I assumed (maybe naively) that under normal circumstances, AA only made parts in Mexico for Mexican production. But maybe the part they are running short on is a common part with the HHR or some other Mexico-built car product? In that case, maybe, like the truck axles, they are making the parts in Mexico and can funnel some of those over the border. Sure does seem like GM is managing to only shut down the plants that have excess inventory, doesn’t it?
In Canada sympathetic plants engage in impromptu wildcat solidarity strikes. Rank and file worker rage boils over, down go their tools and magazines, and they dramatically walk out! The catering trucks need 24-hours notice, making the spontaneity questionable.
The union bosses make loud proforma denunciations of the illegal job action to comply with the law. They implore (wink, wink, nudge, nudge) the workers to return to work, while fully excusing their frustration and angst.
Lately plant takeovers are the flavor du jour. Imported union goons seize the building, threaten administrative staff, turn offices upside down, throw computers through windows, and slash company vehicle tires. Damage to operating equipment is carefully avoided lest a return to work and collection of union dues is delayed when the dispute ends.
Politicians speak with alarm and point with concern. Police brass-hats maintain the Queen’s peace from a luxury motor home Mobile Command Centre parked far away lest they observe evildoing and do something displeasing to their political masters. Union pickets impede citizens going to work allowing one to enter at 15-minute intervals. Objectors are assaulted and their cars vandalized.
The company threatens the union bosses with labour board charges, fires the ringleaders, and sues for zillions of dollars. The union makes total forgiveness a condition of settlement. The company caves. Everything returns to normal, until next time which lately has been coming around faster.
Only total rubes and willfully blind politicos still buy into these elaborately choreographed farces.
The larger problem isn’t lack of parts; it’s a lack of customers. And as more jobs are offshored and more wages cut and more people layed off, the larger problem will become worse. Employees of GM and their suppliers tend to be GM’s best customers. Vicious cycle down.
Gardiner, any company that has to put up with the scenario that you are talking about, in addition to the Loonie now being valued more than the US dollar, must be a company run by rubes and imbeciles. Otherwise, they would smarten up and simply close up shop in Canada, thanks and good riddance.
Oh, wait, that would be GM, Ford and Chrysler…
Never mind.
Gardiner Westbound Could you specify when exactly that happened?What plant was that?The date?
35 years of working in the bigest plant in Canada and I just can,t remember,and I’m not one for forgeting details.Plant takeovers?What company?
Our American friends are reading this stuff thinking we are loonie tunes eh!Just give us a link or cite one news source.Objectors are assualted?Cars vandalized?
I would have to say that that post is—-
Never mind I won’t step over TTAC guide lines
Well it does sound like an elaborate ritual. But H. sapiens are known for those.
OK Mikey, you mean loonie toons like this?
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=60763
or this? Pertinent, since I’m a Bible believer.
http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=59600
Or how about the poor Polish guy tazed at Vancouver Airport, where the RCMP guys knelt on his neck and killed him, last year? You mean, loonie toons like that?
Despite these recent Canadian shows of lunacy, I’m not going to point any fingers at my neighbors when my own country is equally as adept at similar things. In fact, my family and I have already booked rooms in the summer all through the Banff, Lake Louise, Jasper and Field BC areas, and will be travelling through Soo Ontario then west on Canadian highways on a once-in-a-lifetime vacation for a few weeks. I already have C$1000 cash bought and put in the safe.
As for Canadian cars, I have always gone by the proposition (while I was still buying North American built cars, that is – in times past) that Canadian built cars always seemed to be built just that little bit better.
With my current mind-set about buying cars being restricted to non-Detroit 2.801, I’d still be happy to buy a Canadian built Toyota or Honda.
So, rest easy, we Americans are not going to point fingers at Canada and accuse – because when I point fingers, in fact I’m pointing 3 fingers back at oneself, correct? Correct.
But then a lot of people world wide could take that lesson to heart.
However, there is also discernment. When a car company, or political movement disguised as a religion, or a nation simply is outside the pale and does/says outrageous things, then it’s open season on this car company/political movement disguised as religion/nation.
As for car companies, I believe that GM, Ford and Chrysler have stepped over the line and are no longer worthy of consideration for my money. It took me a quarter of a century to finally admit that. Yeah, I guess I’m a slow learner.
Excellent! About time somebody showed some real backbone in this mess.
Menno: Thank you for visiting our country Unless you cause a ruckus at the airport you won’t get tazered.
As far as cars go,the big three build top notch vehicles here in the north,as do our brothers and sisters in the USA.
News flash here,I know lots of folks at the Toyota and Honda plants,they tell me the the same stories I hear in my own plant.I guess I’ll never know for sure cause I’ll never own one.
GW,
After many years working in the industry in both GM and several suppliers, I have never come across the scenario you describe, ever. The closest thing was a few chairs being thrown around in the old local 222 union hall over the contentious issue of apprentice seniority within the skilled trades. Now you will always have one or two idiots making a fool of themselves while on picket duty (it’s usually Molson Muscle!) but for the most part common sense and dignity reign. I did witness a wildcat once in the truck plant but it was over a safety issue involving iso-cynates that the company were very slow to address. Can’t speak for Ford or Chrysler. Maybe the folks in Oshawa are just a higher class of people.
;-) ;-) !
Hi Mikey,
We’re actually going to drive the Prius all the way through Michigan, to the Soo, make a left and drive for 3 more days to Banff. Since 9/11, I loathe flying from or into the US, and loathe being treated like cattle. Or chattel. Or worse. When I do fly on business, it’s rare and I am certainly not a happy camper. When I fly to the UK to visit in-laws, it’s with trepadation and loathing.
I’m no advertisement for the success and transparency of the “security” measures nor the airlines. I consider both a dismal pain in the you-know-what.
The other advantage of driving in Canada is that as far as I know, the fuel is not contaminated with ethanol, as fuel is in Minnesota and Montana (as well as Washington, Oregon, Missouri and Louisiana – not states near where we are going – as well as most large cities in the states due to “reformulated gasoline” rules).
Ethanol sucks. Literally. The Prius gets greedy on it (as has every car I’ve ever tried it in since 1984) to the tune of sucking up 15 to 25% more fuel when said fuel contains 10% ethanol.
I’d rather simply pay extra money for pure Canadian gasoline rather than drive through Minnesota and Montana and watch the MPG plummet. Especially given that food prices are rising so much world-wide, partly due to this ethanol foolishness.
It’s not just new cars which are affected by ethanol. I hear Hagerty Insurance (collector car insurer) is doing a study with a University on the effects of ethanol, on old cars. Results should be out this summer.
http://www.hagerty.com/ethanol/