"I wish the newspaper would report the facts truthfully.."

Were you aware that GM and the UAW don't publish the exact details of their contract, including the JOBS bank program, because of "competitive reasons"? If someone is willing to go to the UAW and ask to give a copy of their GM contract to the Gazette, I'm sure the Gazette would be interested.

"WHY DON'T WE HEAR ABOUT THIS IN THE MEDIA?"

Because Honda and Toyota aren't asking for a bailout! Note that they have survived DESPITE their own version of a jobs bank. Probably because, until the last contract, workers could stay in the GM JOBS bank indefinately, while Toyota and Honda have been consistantly busy gaining market share.

That being said, GM Management should take the vast majority of blame for the current mess, and eliminating the JOBS bank is mostly symbolic at this point, hence the ease with which the UAW is willing to let it go.

The "Jobs Bank" concept was pioneered by Japanese auto companies, who have had a no layoff policy in place for many years. The policies currently in place at Honda and Toyota, which pay workers full salary for an indefinite period, are more generous than job security programs in UAW-negotiated contracts.

With 4,500 workers earning their full paychecks while its San Antonio truck plant was idle this summer, Toyota had more workers in its version of the "Jobs Bank" at a single plant than Chrysler, Ford and GM currently have in all of their factories put together.

WHY DON'T WE HEAR ABOUT THIS IN THE MEDIA? mAYBE THIS WOULD CURB SOME OF THE GM BASHING, BUT I DOUBT IT IN THIS TOWN!

I'm just disgusted with the corporate timing for lay offs and closings. History shows it seems more prevalent just before the holiday season... unfortunately, it is also the end of the fiscal year for most companies, and for us in the Northern states, the coldest - most costly-to-heat time of the year.

I wish the newspaper would report the facts truthfully.. Laid off workers will get unemployment which is 2/3 or their wage..UNTAXED
The fund that helps make up the difference..is the employees OWN money that they put in there. It's not an UNLIMITED fund.. people that have been laid off have been drawing..and it goes by seniority..so people that do not have a lot of time vested will probably not get anything..

I just thought I would set the record straight..how do I know? My dad was one of the Kenosha workers laid off right before Christmas many years ago..

I think it's very unfortunate that thousands of people will loose their jobs and benefits. The corporate decision makers got rid of their very succesful electric car in the 1990's. Imagine where the company would be if they would not have scrapped the car and the technology. The Volt is a joke in comparison to what they had. Greed was the motivation behind those decisions.

My own personal opinion is that Unions should have been abolished years ago! In the early to mid 1900's, Unions were necessary to guarantee that employees were not being exploited... by working them to death. In many cases, employers paid their employees a pittance wage and worked them 16 hours a day. Many companies were no better than slave masters. They employed young mothers and their children. Those who had lost the bread winner to WW1 were subject to hideous working conditions. However, now that the government has business standard practices in place, the Unions are no longer necessary.

...the most important reason for the decline in unions is that they are victims of their own success. Unions raised their wages substantially above the wages paid to nonunion workers. Therefore, many union-made products have become so expensive that sales were lost to less expensive foreign competitors and nonunion producers. This resulted in companies having to cut back on production, which caused some workers to lose their jobs, and hence, unions some of their members. Also, the recent shift in this country towards technology and service has made our economy less reliant in the types of industrial jobs that tended to be union strongholds. Today's worker tends to be more highly educated and tends to be the professional, white collar class. All of these have conspired to decrease union membership.
http://www.socialstudieshelp.com/Eco_Uni...

As far as I am concerned, you have reaped what you sowed. I for one, do not support your work ethics. To get the wages you have earned for so long... you now are facing reality. Welcome to the real world.

I have never been in a Union, I did not graduate from College, yet am white collar. I am employable. I am able to market myself in many fields. I've been able to build my retirement funds on my own. My husband has put funds away for nearly 40 years. As a Union employee, you've been led to believe, putting all your "eggs in one basket", was the way to go.

You've been given a load of crap, and you bought it!

Please... do what ever you can to distance yourselves from these automakers. Its done, its gone, the security will evaporate. GET OUT!

As far as the comment about not being able to finish your "paid by the company" education... waa-waa... My daughter is doing it! Single Mother of 3 kiddies under 8 years old. She has a full time job (white collar) and attending college full-time AND has CMT (a chronic muscle wasting disease) at 27 YEARS OLD! So get over yourselves and figure it out!

There is life AFTER GM!

FreedomSpeaks said: "You can blame the U.A.W or GM all you want but it's the people who have bought foreign cars and rising gas prices."

GM management, including the Board of Directors, is responsible for reacting to competition and market conditions. GM has been cutting the workforce in the U.S. (and janesville) for years, and high fuel prices only accelerated their race to the bottom. Ford has been able to survive high fuel prices because they don't have brand likes Chevy, GMC and Buick competing against each other for virtually the same trucks or SUV's. Bill Ford Jr. had the vision to bring in someone else to run the company, and it is working. The transplant manufacturers don't have auto dealers on every corner competing with each other. If it wasn't for competition, we would still be driving the rustbucket, deathtraps of the 70's.

This isn't the 80's, when GM and their suppliers employed thousands more people. The continual defense of GM, when they have shed jobs here for years, is simply amazing.

msleo. not one thing will be lost as you say. "to much will be lost" what, your house? big freakin deal, get another one.you act like the plant closing was never an option. i sold my house in 2006 cause i saw this coming and told others to do the same..others meaning people like your husband. yeah now your stuck...thats what you think, how the heck ya gonna make a house payment, without his income? insurance? child support, retirement, college and on and on. HE SHOULD HAVE JUMPED LONG AGO. GM OFFERED TRANSFERS FOR 8 YEARS...YOU AND ALL THE EX'S COULD HAVE MANAGED SOMETHING OUT. SIMPLE SIMPLE SIMPLE.you talk like there are no other options than the one your in. as far as your daughter having scars well there are laws that govern visitation and he/you have every right to exercise them. your full of excuses and pity. sorry about your selfishness. if your husband really wanted the income and the retirement he would suck up and move on to support all of them and their selfish unrealistic demands. pity your lifestyle and your choices. today is 77 and sunny, windows open and the grill warmin up!

Why weren't Wall Street employees asked to take concessions? Wall Street got a bailout--no questions asked. Detroit Three are asking for a loan, and have to account for every dime.

Losing the job bank means less money for Janesville. Nothing more, nothing less! It means your neighbors and friends who have businesses that have no connection with GM will suffer and go out of business. You can blame the U.A.W or GM all you want but it's the people who have bought foreign cars and rising gas prices. If GM wasn't here, Janesville would be about the size of Milton and we would be a nobody. Back in the early 80's when the plant went through hard times the city almost collaped so then yes this is a very serious situation. With the plant planning to close, people better hope they get another product. Or otherwise you are looking at 15-20 years recovery.

wtp- Get a clue. Most employers do NOT offer severence packages and unemployment is 26 weeks.

I have one question. When ones loses his or her job just how many weeks do they get severance pay? Maybe 2 months and 24 weeks of unemployment. After that they are on there own. GM employees are getting 48 weeks of severance plus 2 more years from GM. And yet they are crying like it is the end of the world. My God over 90% of the workers in the country would love to work for those conditions where if they lost there job they have almost 3 yrs to find a job without losing there home.

As General Motors slashes jobs, closes plants and battles to avoid bankruptcy, the company’s CEO has set up a retirement plan that will pay him at least $4.6 million a year – nearly twice his current salary.

http://archive.newsmax.com/archives/ic/2...

“In the fiscal year that ended in March 2007, Toyota’s top 32 executives — a group that included CEO Katsuaki Watanabe — together pulled in $7.8 million in bonuses on top of salaries of $12.1 million. For the comparable period, one single GM exec, CEO Rick Wagoner, raked in $10.2 million.” [www.toomuchonline.org/tmweekly.html]
In 2008 Wagoner got a $5.3 million dollar raise.

http://soldiersofsolidarity.com/

Things are tough all over.

piterboy- it's not that easy! We would never be able to sell our house for what we owe. His kids are to young to 'visit'. My husband is a HUGE part in the kids life, we care for them 3 days a week and every other weekend. Who will pick them up from school and help them with their homework and cook them dinner? The moms (yes there is two- exwife and exgirlfriend) work and have houses, which they would never be able to sell either, much less find jobs themselves.
I raised my daughter without her father - he lives out west - she has very deep emotional scars about her dad not 'being there' for her. I don't want that to happen to his kids because we are forced to relocate.
It's so easy for someone to SAY 'just do it', but too many will be hurt and to much would be lost.

It's not that easy to "just sgin your papers and transfer" like some of you non-educated think. Arlington TX had only 10 product openings!!!! Do you know what kind of senority that will take to get the offer to transfer??? No, probably not because you have NO business blatting off about a place that is NOT your business. Like another post said... you make others ashamed to be from this community that spits on their neighbor when there are down. May the day never come when you find yourself in this position. You know the saying "what comes around goes around". And save it.... I DON"T work for any of the auto companies; but I do have the compassion to feel for what they are going through and hope it will all work out.

Hey BillyRay, Every country supports their automakers except the U.S. And yes they have unions in Canada & Europe also. You don't care that the profits go over sees. That's fine then why don't you move over there too. Either you have a high paying job or you don't make nothing but move over sees and I bet you will be back to the U.S. in less than a year. Because in Japan you work 7 days a week & no weekends. So if it wasn't for the unions most people would not have a half the good pay scale they have now. And by the way foreign autoworkers make $24 and US autoworkers make $15 - $28.

I am sorry that so many people are on the verge of losing jobs they've held for many years but one needs to put the blame where it belongs and that is on the UAW and management who let greed over rule common sense. Great wages/benefits have to be paid for and when the money runs out so do the wages/benefits.
Several comments in various articles blame the American consumer for not buying American. As an American, I have the choice of what I buy and the price I want to pay. I buy American but I'm not hung up on it like some. We have been known to produce junk here to (please do not assume I'm talking about the auto industry only, even if there were a few clunkers made over the years).
As for being jealous as some have implied---balony. You made your choice, other made theirs.
Also, many have survived on less, accomplished more and are happy. You have or had great wages and benefits and now because some failed to prepare for something like this, they look for anyone or thing to blame besides themselves.
Yes, your wages paid for and kept many business' in business and people employed over the years. Now, those same wages and benefits are now placing all that in jeapordy. No, I'm not trying to shift the blame to you for our present round of problems. There is enough blame to share through out the country. Just try to remember that we are all in the same boat and if we don't fix the leak, the boat sinks and so do we.

Oh and Dusty- at least I know when to use an apostrophe.

Geez Dusty, I don't know what to tell you. The article say most workers not happy about the elimination of JOBS bank. All I want to know is what about those who are happy about it. "Most" is not "all". So why are the others happy about losing the JOBS bank. As for the typo- I am just trying to fit in.

Beeferer obviously you did not even read the first sentence of the article. Did you just read the headline? You did not even spell the reporters name right, much less give correct information.

"Congressional Democrats and the White House have reached agreement on emergency aid for US carmakers of between $15bn and $17bn, two senior congressional aides said on Friday."
http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/cd01e9b8-c350-...

This comment isn't directly related to this discussion about the Jobs Bank and GM salaries, but the bottom line is, we should not bailout the Big Three. Tax payers will never see a return on that investment either. Just like the millions the state handed GM to stay in Janesville. Great return on that investment :(

It is kind of ironic how the free market, private sector, less regulation, complain about their taxes people are always the first people in line looking for a handout, crying about why the government isn't helping us.

And if I hear one more person say "Its not tax dollars, the federal government going to pay for it", I'm going to throw up. Get a clue. Everyone has a right to an opinion, but if your going to publicly express your opinion, do your homework and know what the heck your talking about.

I am a laid off union worker also from the auto industry although not a GM worker, my parents worked there all my childhood and it was our way of life. As the years have passed I have seen the wages of GM workers rise to an almost ridiculous level. But, the Union was able to negoiate it and GM gave it, so cudos, you got it. I feel the job banks should be eliminated if that will help GM to survive. If the people don't like it, well, find another job that has the benefit of having Job Banks, and by the way, Good Luck with that. We all, including myself, have to make sacrifices at a time like this if we are to survive. My proposal to GM, Ford and Chrysler: close your Mexico and Canadian plants that ship vehicles into the United States, before closing or laying off any US workers. Bring it all home! Just as a family in crisis comes together to help and suppport each other and survive, we as a family of United States citizens must also come together and rally within our home. Bring the jobs back to the US before laying off one of our own. Pepsi did this. Before any cuts are made to their US plants, they laid off Mexican workers. I have not heard one politican propose this. Why? If you think this is something that should be proposed, please over this weekend, write your congress person. It's easy online and can be done within a few minutes. If you've taken the time to write on this board, you have the time to go to their website and write to them.

"Most workers not happy about elimination of JOBS Bank" . OK Stacey, we just want to know about all those workers who ARE happy about the elimination of the jobs bank. You say "Most" but we all want to know the other side of the story. Why are you withholding information about the other half of the story? You only quoted people who were not happy about it. Is there going to be a 'part 2' to this story?

MSLEO........yes I think so. the ex, 3 kids and a new home, aging parents too. it is about the welfare of your own. ex wants her/his child support so of course they accept it, parents want you to do the best, you can find another job and another home. who will fund your retirement if YOU don't? grown daughter? she'll move jobs 3-4 times in her career. it takes everyone a couple months to adjust, but again it is about funding your own retirement, household first. they will figure it out trust me. they can visit too, that is always an option. it really is simple not idiotic. remember i said gm paid for degree too. so they pay me a pension, paid my tuition and I figured out the taxes were to high in your state so I moved. guess what, i collect 200.00 more a month just by moving out of wisconsin. simple. you can find another HOME. houses are everywhere. here is the real kicker...foreign cars are the norm here......so of course.....yep you guessed it.40mpg you bet I want one.you see very few gm, ford chrysler cars here in sunny south. simple! not idiotic. reconsider your options,,,,,,there available and properous.

GM needs to clean house and the UAW does as well. The JOBS bank and sub pay, in my opinion should go. In my opinion some type of severance pay from a company is realistic, but 2+ years worth? I got laid off from the company I worked for for over 8 years and I'm not going to see a dime in severance pay whatsoever. I'm a member of the UAW but I have always thought that getting to sit for 2 years and receive 95% of your pay is ridiculous. There is no other company in the world that would allow people who are not producing anything at all to sit at home and get paid for it. JOBS bank should have been reduced to severance pay. Personally I think 1 weeks of pay for each year of service is pretty fair.
+
However, I will agree that the top of GM's food chain needs to go on a diet as well. No more jets, sell some houses, sell some cars, etc. No longer can you be the CEO of a company that is losing money and receive bonuses. Really? Losing money and you get bonuses? If GM, Ford and Chrysler's CEO's really wanted to impress people they should have said "We'll work for $1 a year and relinquish all bonuses until our companies are profitable again."

It really saddens me that so many in this town, or perhaps just on this website, are so extremely jealous of those who make more money than themselves. Even though it is those jobs they are jealous of that help to keep our local economy humming. In regaurds to the workers "greed" I ask this, who among you stone throwers have told your employers "No,no that is way to much money I will work for less." I would like to see a show of hands. And I am not sure if you know this or not but the most recent strike, which lasted a day, was not by the local workers choice. It came from the UAW before they could even vote on a contract. In my opinion these workers are justly compensated for what they do. Yes, there are the few that make the headlines, for cheating hours, stealing, and drinking on the job. Those are the few bad apples who are spoiling the bunch. You are going to get a few bad people in any pool of 2000 plus. The majority are hardworking men and women with families to support. They do repetitive work 10 hours a day. I know many with back problems, knee surgeries, wrist surgeries, and the like. Often times they are sent back to work before by the GM nurses only to make the injury worse. I could not imagine having wreck my body to make a dollar. These men and women are.
So now the rug is in the process of being pulled out from under them and you can all rejoice that the once anchor of our economy is on its way out and the workers are jobless and running out of options. Congratulations, you win! You win lower home values, business closings, and an economic strain that we have not felt in this area before. *hands clapping*
And for those of you ignorant enough to believe that GM is failing because they paid their workers too much, WAKE UP. The industry refused to change with the times and now are left holding the bag wondering what happened. A complete lack of management insight led to this downfall, not the union workers and retirees who make up only 10% of the companies total expenses. Thats right 10%.

I mean really come on.... People are losing thier houses, no power, no income. Some have been tring very hard to find work. There is plently to cry about. What do you get to show for it..... NOTHING... I will lose my job with the rest. I do not work at GM I will not get all the extras and guess what same Union as GM. I am not bitter I knew it would not last forever. I stayed because the pay was good and the insurance was unbeatable. Now what to do....? I will work with what I have and redo my spending ways. I really think alot need to remember the saying no crying over spilt milk. Stop hanging on and try to salvage what is left. If for some reason it stays good for you. Reality does not show that. Most have children to show what can be done in hard times. Teach them times get bad and you may not have all the frills But famliy is forever and you can stand together. Children understand if you talk to them TEACH them life does not end with a job it only opens another door. Live day to day it overwelms you other wise. Good luck to all who start over.

truthbtold......Yes I agree, it is sad that they may be out of a job and soon out of their jobs bank money to support their families. But I think the 40 some weeks that they get of unemployment is sufficient. I believe the rest of the world only gets 20 some weeks when they are unemployed don't they? And for those that are going to school as you stated and will not be able to finish school because they will have to get a job, that is ridiculous. They need to join the rest of the world who has to go to school and work a full time job at the same time in order to better themselves and pay their bills. jmo.

piterboy - Your an idiot! Not everyone that works at GM can just pack up and leave houses, parents, children behind. If my husband was to transfer we would never see his 3 little kids that we have 3 days a week and every other weekend. I have a great job and don't wish to leave it either. not to mention my grown daughter. Do you think we could get our ageing parents, my college enrolled daughter and the ex wife and 3 little ones to pack up and move? It's just changing seats on the titanic.

Might want to take those issues up with your union rep

Ya thats real nice..
Lets blame them for trying to fight against a bunch of selfish overpaid CEO's. To them this was the fight.."The blue coller worker VS. the CEOS"

Sure lets blame a small local group of union workers for the downfall of an empire. Keep grasping...

When the times are good,who wouldn't try to make as much many as they can,if the alternative is giving it to greedy men in three peice suits who don't know the differance between a header and a door panel?

The bottom line is,they paid for something and where promised something that many who wont be able to secure a transfer,dearly need to survive.

Instead of everyone complaining about the "inflated wage and benefits" of the auto worker, why don't you put your energy into fighting for a better wage for yourself. If you think this is why the big 3 are in trouble, then you don't understand anything about the current crisis of this country.

I feel bad that people are loosing their jobs but have any of you Union GM workers ever thought about the millions of other jobs you affect with your inflated wages and benefits? Those people dont get the same package when they leave the company, if you all would not of went on strike and fought and fought for more and more and more many people would still be working including yourselves. How can a company stay in business when they are paying so much for payroll and benefits. Noone wants to see them go out of business but can you see how this happened? Its all because of greed my god is $20 hr not good enough with a few less benefits.

How about when all you non GM people lose YOUR jobs because the layed off GM workers that frequented your place of employment can't afford to anymore?

dogs_rule- Ford secured a line of credit this summer before the banks stopped loaning money. This is why they are only asking for a line of credit for future use if needed.

What a bunch of morons you people are!!

These are people we are talking about! Your neighbors,relatives & friends (and I know your to much of a coward to say these things to his or her face,so you secretly vent here becuase your jeoulas that you never got hired all those years ago!)

They paid for this option through the dues they paid all those years. Do you understand that the rug has been pulled out from underneath these families? Yes FAMILIES!! Then when they try to protect themselves by quickly enrolling in local tech programs(nursing,electrical and many other programs they waited to get into)they are again getting screwed! Now,they probally won't be able to finish these programs they alredy started last fall becuase they will have to find another job to support the family. Hundreds where depending on this to get the degrees they needed becuase they don't have enough senority to tranfer. Now what? They might lose everything..

Ya,keep your bitching! Families with small kids now jobless and possibly soon homeless. I can honestly say that I'm ashamed to be from this town that spits on their neighbors and kicks them while they are already down!

Merry Christmas to you too!!

"Most workers not happy about elimination of JOBS Bank." Really?? I can't imagine that. What a rediculuous headline.

Did anyone notice that Ford only asked for a line of credit that they may not use? They say they have cash for 2009. Why is ford able to move on and the little two can't make it past end of year?

Hey Bob Veum .Just because the union says you earned it it doesn`t mean you deserve it.Look where you are now because of all of those bloated benefits.

What a stupid idea in the first place. What company anywhere can survive when you pay people almost a full wage to do nothing. The union had a lot to do with this, and now they realize that if they want to keep thier pension they need to do somthing. If GM files for bankruptcy, you get nothing. Wake up and understand this is not the same problems they had in the early 80's, which by the way, I was laid off for 16 months. Nobody gave me free money to sit on my ass and do nothing. If you want job security in the future, and possibly a pension, you are going to have to make changes now.

I think people will now try to get a different job if they now know that their benefits will only last 48 weeks, instead of unlimited weeks. This should push people to make a career change.

you pitiful morons..........TRANSFER!!!!!! you have had 8 years to transfer>>>>>>>>>what the heck are ya thinking????????? why did you wait??? gm offers you a job in another location and you denied yourself the option. why? $27.00 an hour and you wouldn't take it..... I have transfered three times to get the pension.....ahhh.........75 degrees here, shorts, tees and lots of golf and no OUTRAGEOUS TAXES!!!!! AHHHHHH.......THE SUNSHINE! gm paid for my college degree too! maybe I will work and maybe I won't! right now it is time to fire up the boat and go sailing!
how much time do you really think you have to waste thinking.........your transfer papers should have been processed aaaaaaalongggggggg time ago! happy sailing!

O.K THAT WAS A LITTLE HARSH SO I HOPE THE REST OF THE HARD WORKING PEOPLE FIND A JOB.GOOD LUCK.

HAY WHAT HAPPEN TO CHAD_VADER have not herd from him on all the issues in a few weeks O thats right He is probably out looking for a JOB THAT WILL NOT PAY $27.00 an hour.AND ALL HIS CRYING AND COMPLAINING ABOUT HOW THE MIGHTY UAW WILL SAVE THEM AND THE REST OF US PEOPLE WILL EAT CROW WHEN THE PLANT OPEN'S UP HMMMMMMMMMMMMM NOT.JUST HAD TO PUT MY COMMENT'S IN BECAUSE OF ALL HIS POST OF THE MIGHTY GM/UAW WORKFORCE WILL PREVALE AND THE PLANT TO STAY OPEN,NOT LOOKING GOOD.

Once the government gets involved they are going to demand on which product the companies can make. Not the cars/trucks that people necessarily want to buy.

Why would they be happy about loosing that benefit? I would love to collect full wages while not performing my job for two years. Not sure who wouldn't want that if offered.

If you think GM is not moving in a different direction, then look at this. If GM goes bankrupt it will only be the american operations, not the overseas operations.
New GM Buick plant in Shanghai China, Dec 1998.
New GM India car plant in Gujarat, India.
New GM Silao Mexico Transmission plant Feb 2008 for 660 million.
New 2nd GM small car plant in Talegaon India Sept 2008 for 300 million also 200 million engine plant near by Aug 2008.
New GM design center for 900 people at Bangalor India Nov 2008.
New GM plants for trucks and engines in Thailand 445 million 2008.
New southern China engine plant July 2008.
New Russia SUV plant 300 million Nov 2008.

In 2 years many could place a significant dent in obtainin a college degree. I would assume that GM is probably not transfering a lot of unskilled labor to other plants. Maybe they will, but the pool of unskilled labor is growing and the wage pressure is declining. It is simple economics.

Good luck to those affeced by the collapse of GM.

The point of all this isn't to stop the average GM worker from buying the 40k+ cars and trucks, but to make them more affordable to everybody who has been buying Kia's, Hyundai's, and Toyota's because they can't afford the GM sticker prices. Let me think do I want the Impala for 25-30k or the Sonata from Hyundai for 18-22k? Gm must be able to build a car cheaper to stay competitive. They haven't been very good at seeing this coming!

I dont know what to say about all this GM stuff but all I know is everyone is hurting right now and it isnt just them, but it is all we hear about.

If the union is unhappy with the GM decisions then the union should buy out GM and run their own company as they wish.

Come on.....There should be no issue with this. The laid off workers will have 48 weeks of almost full salary. That's almost a full year to find another job. I think that's more than generous......As far as clearing house from the top down, that needs to be done as well. Financially, getting rid of top management wouldn't make a dent. The jobs bank program cost GM over $800 million annually--top management salary is a very small percentage of that.....

jmags, you are so very right on! They do need to start at the top, and I bet the guys at the top are not willing to take a big pay cut.

As I understand it, it was GM that first proposed the jobs bank in 1984 in a spectacular display of poor judgment.

From a Wall Street Journal article by Jeffrey McCracken, on 3/1/2006, entitled “General Motors: Paying People Not to Work”: “At about 4 p.m. on Aug. 8, 1984, GM put forward a one-paragraph memo proposing the creation of an ‘employee-development bank.’ The idea was to help train or find jobs for senior UAW employees who would ‘otherwise be permanently laid off’ because of better technology or higher productivity.”

The article is fairly lengthy and devoted entirely to the jobs bank.

People aren't getting the picture. eliminating the jobs bank, does not guarantee GM will not file for bankruptcy. It is Big Business promising one thing and recinding on another.

Now if the top 10% in GM were to take big pay cuts to help reduce dept and not rely on the common man, then we could say that GM is trying to make a difference.

I feel that by eliminating the Jobs bank, it is another way of getting rid of the union, and making everyone who wants to work for GM, to make $14.00 an hour.

That's ok if that is what they are trying to do, but just tell us that. because at $14.oo an hour they won't be able to buy the $40,000+ vehicles that they are trying to sell. no one will be able to afford them. So this means that GM is not getting itself out of trouble by eliminating the Jobs bank, but just moving the problem somewhere else. Then they will ask the union for another concession to help them out with.

GM needs to clean house and start over AT THE TOP.

I'm wondering how many people didn't take a buyout because they thought the JOBS bank would allow them to have most of their salary for two years after the sub pay is exhausted?

I think getting rid of the JOBS bank is a small price to pay....even my dad agrees and he worked at the plant for 30 some years....I have to admit some GM people have not been smart with thier money....my dad is one of them. But I also have other family members that are retired from GM and they are not worried as they made sure to save for the future.

So GM and the UAW can change the rules of the game just like that? Well, then I can keep my GM vehicles and not pay GM for them...wouldn't you think? We were counting on JOBS bank to give us time to find a new source of income to finish paying for our GM vehicles.

hmmm, you're right Beeferer-because the headline seemed to be an invitation...

UAW, you reap what you sow.

Only one message posted here?!??!?!? C'mon people! Let the bashing begin!

What do you want?? GM to file for bankrupcy and you get nothing or loose jobs bank and you get something. The choice is yours.