GM Reducing 500 Engineers From Warren Tech Center

[Guest Josh]

General Motors Corp. will lay off about 500 contract employees, many of them engineers and designers at its technical center in Warren, on Friday as part of the automaker's effort to downsize its money-losing North American operations.

"This is a very challenging time, and these are very difficult decisions for the company," said GM spokesman Robert Herta. "It's all about aligning the work force with our business needs."

GM said the cuts are part of a previously announced plan to reduce its U.S. white collar work force by 7 percent in 2006. The reduction affects both direct GM and contract employees.

Many of the engineers whose jobs are being eliminated have already been contacted by the contractors that employ them.

Several said they were struck by the magnitude of the cuts, noting that GM has steadily eliminated contract jobs but in smaller numbers, 10 or 20 at a time.

The job losses darken the already grim employment outlook for Michigan, which is expected to lose jobs for a sixth straight year in 2006 despite the national economy's resilience. In the past year and a half, the state has lost more than 15,000 professional and business services jobs, a category that includes engineers and designers.

More: http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/artic.../601050415/1148

Oh look, another damaging article from GM's "friend" Christine Tierney. I hope to shake her had at the NAIAS next week.

[usa1]

It's a shame to see these cuts. These guys are working on future products. This just means GM will continue to lag the industry with their products. They will continue to update their trucks OR their cars. Not both because of resource issues. Products will go 6-7 years between refreshes instead of the needed 5 years. They will continue to use tired old platforms like the GM10 instead of coming up with new world class ones. Mark

[evok]

Josh: She is only reporting what is going on as we speak. I was just told people are being walked out the door of the VEC as I type this. Contract and direct workers with less than 10 years of seniority are the focus. What I find interesting is how all of this coincides with the cancellation of a bunch of programs toward the end of last year.

[Clownzilla]

How about laying off 500 workers in the job bank sitting at home, doing nothing. I wonder if these engineers did that? I'm telling you, the day of doom is coming for the blue collar "workers". Like usa1 stated, these layed off workers were working on future products. Now they will just lag behind, like they have for decades.

[Guest Josh]

Find me one positive piece she's done on General Motors & their contributions to local economies, then go find me one about Toyota. You'll have to search long and hard to find a positive piece from Christine regarding General Motors. Not so much for Toyota.

[evok]

Find me one positive piece she's done on General Motors & their contributions to local economies, then go find me one about Toyota.

You'll have to search long and hard to find a positive piece from Christine regarding General Motors.

Not so much for Toyota.

[post="68075"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Well I have found her recent article very good reporting since:

#1 GM did not issue a public Press Release

and

#2 I verified and it is accurate and people are being walked out of the VEC at this very moment.

[Ghost Dog]

when i would check the Det news in the past , I generally liked Tierneys(sp?) stuff.

[Satty]

Damn reporters reporting the news, dont they know that they should write all of their articles based on a few specious facts that they can spin into praise for GM? What the hell do they learn in journalism school? Edited January 5, 2006 by Satty

[razoredge]

journalists suck same as media photographers, too bad we could'nt get rid of 15,000 or more. Anyhow .............Im always sorry to hear about Americans jobs going down the dumper. I hope it does not affect their lives & families too negitively long term. Sad part is truth be known their jobs were probably off shored and it will not affect future GM product developement. Americans buying Hondas and Toyotas will affect it however. tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc

[razoredge]

and I put it in there just for you and I got what I expected, the responce of a preschooler

[razoredge]

while I appreaciate your input about journalism and the little piece of research about the journalist at hand, I did not notice any input on your behalf as to the topic. So I just couldnt resist, now tell me again about who got left behind ?

[RJB]

I hope I'm not out the door. I have less than 10yrs at GM. But I work in a department that cannot afford to lose anybody. We are way understaffed on my offshift that I work on. But you never know they may just move some guys from days to the offshifts and say... see ya!

[regfootball]

folks are chuggin brewskis in India and asia gearing up for those engineers at GMDAT to start working their asses off now................ if i were an engineer i'd be learnin whatever language it is they speak over there if i wanted to stay in the biz and get a check....... razor, you could be right...tictoctictoc this is outsourcing, people!!!!!!!!!!! they gotta do it keep costs down......apparently Edited January 6, 2006 by regfootball

[SimonDavid]

How many engineers do GM have on contract anyway, and why? A dumb question : If GMDAT is driving small cars, Opel is driving midsize including Epsilon 2 and the Ion replacement, Australia is centre of RWD, GMT900 is launched, Lambda is soon to be launched, GMT360 replacement is delayed, then what is GMNA working on?

[razoredge]

then what is GMNA working on?

[post="68550"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

A better game of golf ?

[evok]

journalists suck same as media photographers, too bad we could'nt get rid of 15,000 or more.

I guess CD/BP was right, you are one child that was left behind. Just in case you are not aware, he elluded to the No Child Left Behind Act! That Act of Congress was an education Bill. It seems as CD/BP points out, the US education system left you behind.

Let me point out, because it seems you never full grapsed the Constitution from your high school civics class the First Ammendment, that freedom of the press is a civil right in the US. Jounalism is a fancy word for the press in case you do not understand.

CD/PB and myself were taking bets as to how long it would take for you to chime in on this thread. I lost that bet. I was betting that you would be off topic. I never expected you would be way way off topic.

[Satty]

If Dubya can get elected, so can razmatazz, then he could ablolish the first amendment, he'd probably also get rid of the nineteenth too.

[evok]

If he were smart, he would just take the 5th!

[Croc]

You guys...you guys are my favorites! *sniff*

[turbo200]

This is a very sad story for both the workers and GM. [Also, CD/BP presented one of the clearer arguments for journalists and against the oft-thrown around idea here of "bias" I've seen presented so far.]

[evok]

Turbo200 - Thanks for getting us back on topic. I spoke over at GM today briefly and it is still hitting the fan. I did not have time to get specifics but I was told it is ugly. One thing people must realize is that contrators at GM do the same job as GM employees. At one time app. 50% of GM engineering was contract. And over the past few year, GM has very quietly laid off about 15,000 contractors that have not been added to GM's real head count reduction numbers. Contractors were expenses and not head count employees. From a job perspective, there was no difference between a direct hire and a contractor. In a meeting the only way you could tell a difference was my looking at the badge. So, what I am saying is, when GM lays off contractors it is just about the same as them laying off direct employees. Edited January 6, 2006 by evok

[razoredge]

I guess CD/BP was right, you are one child that was left behind.  Just in case you are not aware, he elluded to the No Child Left Behind Act!  That Act of Congress was an education Bill.  It seems as CD/BP points out, the US education system left you behind.

Let me point out, because it seems you never full grapsed the Constitution from your high school civics class the First Ammendment, that freedom of the press is a civil right in the US.  Jounalism is a fancy word for the press in case you do not understand.

CD/PB and myself were taking bets as to how long it would take for you to chime in on this thread.  I lost that bet.  I was betting that you would be off topic.  I never expected you would be way way off topic.

[post="68596"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Evok ! Go back and read the course of events that led to my remark, which amounted to someone giving no input toward the topic but rather attacking the poster of the topic. Then myself throwin him a bone, because this is what CDBP does, very rare to see a responce directly to the post, it was fun and I enjoyed it. After that I made my comment on the laying off of American workers. Then if you continue reading you will find that I was not the child throwing out insults, your insults do not bother me, nor will they ever, I am surprised however that the adminstration and moderators allows your direct insults.

Now you both want to insult me about maturity or education, just go back and read your post.

"Jounalism is a fancy word for the press in case you do not understand." :unsure:
"It seems as CD/BP points out, the US education system left you behind."
"that freedom of the press" is that what the first amendment is ? :unsure: Then just when did I say anything against free press ? I did voice an honest opinion of how I feel about sensational jouralism when I mentioned being rid of many thousands, Im pretty sho som whar in dat dar consiution me entitled to me opinion, no ?

So anyhow I was not way way off topic. I responed briefly to a few off topic post made and then responded briefly to the topic at hand.

So while you little boys are doing your little clicky clicky chit chat about others on the board behind closed doors, Ill just carry on.

"CD/PB and myself were taking bets as to how long it would take for you to chime in on this thread." whos immature ? This was about Americans loosing work, why would I not "chime in" ?

SO Evok, as you and your bud took this way way off topic I will close by reposting my origional unedited post where its clear I was having concerns myself about how it had already gotten off topic. :)

journalists suck same as media photographers, too bad we could'nt get rid of 15,000 or more.

Anyhow .............Im always sorry to hear about Americans jobs going down the dumper. I hope it does not affect their lives & families too negitively long term. Sad part is truth be known their jobs were probably off shored and it will not affect future GM product developement. Americans buying Hondas and Toyotas will affect it however.

tic toc tic toc tic toc tic toc

amazing how easily this distracted such a highly educated bunch.......no ? B) Edited January 6, 2006 by razoredge