Pretty sad state of affairs. Anybody know what models they make at these plants? GM to Cut 30,000 Jobs, Close 9 Plants By DEE-ANN DURBIN, AP Auto Writer DETROIT - General Motors Corp. will eliminate 30,000 manufacturing jobs and close nine North American assembly, stamping and powertrain plants by 2008 as part of an effort to get production in line with demand. The announcement Monday by Rick Wagoner, chairman and CEO of the world's largest automaker, represents 5,000 more job cuts than the 25,000 that the automaker automaker had previously indicated it planned to cut. GM said the plants that will close are in Oklahoma City, Lansing, Mich., Spring Hill, Tenn., Doraville, Ga., and Ontario, Canada. Wagoner said GM also will close three service and parts operations facilities. "The decisions we are announcing today were very difficult to reach because of their impact on our employees and the communities where we live and work," Wagoner told employees. "But these actions are necessary for GM to get its costs in line with our major global competitors. In short, they are an essential part of our plan to return our North American operations to profitability as soon as possible." GM said the plan is to achieve $7 billion in cost reductions on a running rate basis by the end of 2006 $1 billion above its previously indicated target. The number of job cuts also was above earlier estimates. GM said earlier this year it planned to cut 25,000 jobs by 2008, mostly through attrition.
Im not sure which plant, but I know the Tried and true, Much loved Buick 3800 V6 motor is going to disappear :ball:
Mike, what has to happen is more people have to buy GM products. With people buying foreign made cars,this is the end result. Being a GM supporter for many years,I still will buy GM over any of the other brands. Let's hope GM can get through this, and the majority of the people will buy their products. If GM goes out of business,all of us will suffer the after effects.
Looks like the plants in Mexico are safe! :moonu: Why can a Japanese auto maker build cars/trucks in this country and sell them at a competitive price and the big three build cars in Canada and Mexico and still cant make it. The government makes import cars makers build plants here and they allow US car companies you use cheaper foreign labor/less strict environments and they still cant make it?
GM needs to build cars that people actually are inspired to own instead of rental car specials like the Lacross and Malibu. ou: They created this problem, and seeing the current line up of cars offered by GM, I take it they don't care much on solving it. Nobody is pointing a gun at people's heads and forcing them to buy imports, the reason they do is because GM doesn't offer the products that the imports do. I wish GM offered someting comparable to my WRX, but unfortunatly they don't and most likely never will. The GM corporation is out of touch with what buyers want. They have been for the past 25 years. Thats why the imports became popular in the 1st place. GM had the US market locked up and they blew it because they refused to adapt correctly to a market where people want to own a car they like, not a car that GM says we should like. :ball:
Japan has such a strong sense of national pride they buy only japanese made products. almost nobody has a foreign made product. The japan cars are cheaper here, imagine what they cost without the import fees... Cheap in Europe too. Market control man, its simple economics. They have us with are pants down, and it sucks
that really is true. Gm needs to build/design a sport compact to compete with the japanese strangle hold. A cobalt SS is almost 30 grand. who the hell would pay that?
Mike: Are people really "inspired" by Camry's to buy them? The Malibu and Lacrosse fully compete with imports but the tide is turned and alot of people are not buying US cars. Unfortunately it will take some time for the tide to turn. They could make the "perfect" car and I know alot of people would not buy them. I plan on supporting the country I live in till my dying day but alot of people in this country couldn't care less about it. And our fearless leader has not helped! Bruce
The Saab 9-2x is a Subaru. Now that GM has sold its share of Subaru I doubt it will be around long as a Saab model. That and the fact it did not sell, it was more expensive than the Suby. Subaru refused to give Saab the Sti. Traditional Saab buyers didnt want the non Sweedish designed car and loyal Subaru fans didnt want a Saab and the average American buyer didnt know it existed. It was doomed from the start but in typical GM fashion they built it anyway. Just like the 9-7x will be. So is buying a Subaru badged as a Saab more american than buying a Subaru built right here in Indiana
Which is essentially a rebadged luxury version of a WRX with a premium price tag. ou: Comparing the Cobalt SS to a WRX: it is more expensive, has less horsepower, and 2 less driving wheels. Whats my incentive to buy one? o No: Sorry, but I don't subscribe to the whole buying a product I don't like or want just to keep people working. I have about as much pride in our great nation as anyone, but having national pride doesn't mean giving ass backwards run companies like GM a free pass. If GM wants to keep people employed, they better start designing and building products people want/like. It's really not that complicated of an idea.
But what do people really want/buy? We are not the norm. We buy based more on performance. Like the late RIP Regal. Even the non-Supercharged out performed the Camry in every way but it didn't sell as well. Unfortunately GM has to try to sell to the average do-do who knows little or nothing about cars. That is where the number/$$$ are. Sure they could make something we might like but that doesn't make the big $$$. Like GN, Reatta, Regal GS, Riviera....average person doesn't have a clue. Like sheep....just follows the current trend which is pointing toward foreign. My friend at the Buick dealer said he sold many more boring Century's than Regals and Gs's.
Mike: Cobalt SS more expensive??? Not on this planet. MSRP is $21,430 vs. $32,445 for the Subaru STI. Also, GM is making deals so they can be had even cheaper. What do they have to give them away???
What has to happen is everyone has to lose their job, and then they'll see what it's like to have everything built overseas. So,the majority of people buy foreign cars so they can put their fellow worker out of work. That is unAmerican. I like the bumper sticker- "Out of work? Hungry? Eat your import".
You can get a standard WRX in either a wagon or 4 door (non STi) which still has 25 more horsepower and 2 more driving wheels then a Cobalt SS for MSRP $23995. Yea the Sti is $10K more expensive then a Cobalt, but the STi has performance characteristics closer to the Vette and it can still carry 4 of your buddies and some luggage...and is only $32k MSRP, which unless you like being fleeced, nobody pays MSRP. I got my 2004 WRX for $19K out the door. For an AWD, 230 hp, 29 mpg, 5 speed, daily driver station wagon it can't be beat. :3gears:
BTW, I stand corrected on the Cobalt being more expensive, I was under the impression the Supercharged Cobalt SS was around $24K and not the $21.5K you quoted. :error:
OK being that you are a semi-ricer you are forgiven...... :grin: but, I'll race you with my 98 Regal GS with 119K on it and a few hundred in mods that I paid $4500 for. :laugh:
I agree 100%!!! They say it's a recession when your neighbor loses his job and it's a depression when you lose yours. Some day Americans will look back at the obvious cause of our continuing decline of good paying jobs... our buying foriegn made products with little regard for the well being of our own neighbors. It's the "I got mine so tough, you go get yours" attitude many have today. I think we should get a sales tax break on any American made product. Paul
Yeah and if you buy American you don't have to buy a US flag sticker to put in the window to help with your guilt.....if you have a conscience. :laugh: The director in my office had a big flag sticker on his Camry trunk but decided to remove it and a piece of paint came with it....haha.
