MWG2

I wonder if GM's HHR plant in Mexico is as advanced as this FORD plant in Brazil:

One look at this and you will be able to tell why there will probably never be another one built in the USA . It will also point out why more assembly plants will go offshore.

http://info.detnews.com/video/index.cfm?id=1189

sargechris

Very interesting! It CAN be done here--maybe the Big 3 and the UAW will work it out--due to necessity!!

Chevy SS

Suppliers right there in the factory, now that is thinking!

Firewatcher

Without sounding like a wise a$$, because I don't mean to be, do the autoworkers in that plant make more money than they would performing the laborious jobs that they do here in the US? I know that there are severely depressed areas in Brazil, just wanting to know if the pay and bennies are comparable to ours....good bucks, good insurance. If GM had modernized their former framingham, Mass plant half as nice as that Ford plant, cars would still be rolling off the line. The last cars built here were the Chevy Celebrity and the Pontiac 6000.

VictorySpark08

Now thats smart. Take Notes UAW!!! Once again Union's are Pointless now days.

hhrcrafty

Without unions, the rest of us wouldn't have COBRA, overtime pay, employer-funded group health insurance, and many other benefits that aren't "pointless". Do you really think those benefits would remain if the unions ceased to exist? You do realize that you also voted for a man who took MILLIONS from the UAW and other trade unions to get elected, right?

Go to ANY assembly plant and you'll see supplier reps walking around. Many of them have operations located on or around plant facilities. There's nothing new about GM and Ford's global operations except that what works in some parts of the world doesn't usually work in every part of the world. The difference between having suppliers assemble a vehicle piece-by-piece on site and having Ford employees doing it is that it reduces Ford's employment overhead and quality may suffer. They might as well just use temps to assemble the whole vehicle at that point.

IgottaWoody

Its all about the mentality of the workers.Going overseas,one finds people who are willing to work and be happy for it.Here they want too much.ITS "all about me" here.There you take a person who probably worked fields or street jobs and give them a factory job tha probably makes 5 times what they were before and they are appreciative.You can't compare wages as the cost of living there is not the same.They are accustomed to living on a smaller scale unlike here where people thumb their noses if they arn't offered at least $20 an hour with every benifit known to man!
Yes its true unions helped along the way but at the same time they drove prices high and companies into the ground.Greed is a destroyer.Ive seen too many times where union protection decreased production instead of enhancing it.Workers took advantage of the rules and consistantly flaunt them and nothing can be done because they are protected!Its no wonder companies are moving overseas.The same thing is happening in the aircraft business,South America and China are the hot spots.We have alot to thank unions for,including driving companies overseas.Every wage increase demand drives the price up for everybody else, where does it end?

hyperv6

Each time a new plant opens it incorperates most of the latest things.

Most plants here has some Outside vendors working in plants but at a lesser degree.

Now what GM does is buy completed assemblys form outside suppliers and they are shipped into the plant as a package. Some plants the wheels and tires, dash assmblys, stearing colums. etc.

I agree the overseas workers in many countries have a better work ethic just do to the fact they went from noting to a much better life. It is much the same as we went though in the late 1800's and early 1900's here. It was prime to work for Henry Ford building T models because he paid $5.00 an hour and that was good money then.

VictorySpark08

Well now we have overtime pay, benefits Etc. There was a time for union's, however not anymore. The Union's have gotten out of control and there wants. Why do u think some companies will also go overseas, if a union trying coming into the Company. One Word CHEAPER.

I don't care if ur union or non-union it depends on the person, on what kinda of Job they will do. There Quailty in Brazil is about as good as it is here. They might actually care alittle more. Here its all about the people and they don't give a crap what type of job they do. They just know in 8hr's there going Home.

What the hell does Obama's Fundraiser donations have to do with this topic? Every person elected take's money from Union's,and any other big Corporation.

It's all about the Greed, That's what got us into the Economic mess to begin with.

MWG2

Mmm...this has turned into a discussion about unions...

Isn't it rather interesting that Toyota shut down its Tundra Plant in San Antonio, TX, a non-union plant, yet they retained the workers during the shut-down at FULL PAY. Something to think about...