Janesville take your factory and your skills and put them back to work WITHOUT GM.

As an outsider, I see Janesville as one of the first dominoes in a series of dominoes which will begin to tumble throughout the land.

1) In short, we are on the brink of an energy crisis unparalleled in all of human history. The SUV should have never been built in the first place.

2)American debt to the rest of the world, mainly Asia, is going up 1 trillion dollars every 15 months!
The US only produces 20% of what it consumes, that means 80% of what we consume is imported.

Combine the two above factors along with a whole bunch of other crap, and what America is faced with will most likely be much worse than the GREAT DEPRESSION.

So where does this leave the people of Janesville? The whole nation will soon look just like Janesville looks now, only worse.

Firstly, forget GM. Secondly, don't trust politicians, thirdly don't rely on the unions. Big daddy and big brother got you here. They don't have a clue how to get you out. This is YOUR lives and your problem, not theirs. And that factory for all intents and purposes should be yours too. So start manufacturing something on your own; preferably something very green and even exportable? Who knows what's out there? Do the research; what patents are waiting to find a manufacturer which can get made in your factory with your skills and labor? You can't seriously believe your factory is ONLY suited to build a couple types of of gas guzzling SUVs? Tell that to a Chinese or Indian entrepreneur. They would find a way to make it work. You can retool if you put your minds and muscle to it. You have absolutely nothing to lose. Necessity is the mother of invention. You now have an amazing opportunity to own your own factory and employ yourselves at making something positive while keeping the profits locally. Of course it's a dream, but you are already dreaming if you think GM or the government will come save you, so you might as well dream a different way.

hello,who said gm would rehire the former workers?

Localboysince1968- You are right to accuse me of running to my computer to read your posts. I'm especially fond of your comments that are 2500 words long. I like to open up every story on this website and keep them minumized so I can have continuous access to your knowledge. By the way, Patrick and I don't hang out much anymore. I mean c'mon, dude is pink. He wasn't exactly helping me out with the ladies if ya know what I mean.

localboy, would you please try explaining that again. This time try not to use such big words.

chad- keep in mind, a lot of those jobs were "outsourced" due to space constraints. Manufacturing floor space was a premium in Janesville, and GM determined to use it as wisely as possible for most effecient manufacturing space. This was to increase the output and prolong the life of the plant. It is no secret the current layout of Janesville Assembly is not a modern factory plan. It is road locked, land locked, river locked, and rail locked. Most modern facilities are a one floor linear design. Not the multiple levels like Janesville Assembly. To the jerk that referred to those supplier jobs as "scabs" probably can't look far enough to analyze what I just explained.

thanks for further explaining that to me... either way, it's still sad that people that have worked equally as hard for the same general purpose--making automobiles, have got to go through this... is it unfair, yes... only thing left to do is keep our chins up through the tough times... who knows?? maybe something will pull through... but until then, all they can do is hang in there... times are scary everywhere...

Yes, believer. Those jobs were done in plant. The reason they went outside was to lower costs on sub-assembly work, and conforming to a new manufacturing plan. They did not get as good of benefits because of leverage. Had they supplied 10 plants, they would have had more leverage, but the didn't. The company had all the cards in this situation. I don't see them as scabs, this was a concession we needed to make to keep competitive. They were good people wanting a good paying job. And army, the sub was a negotiated benefit ( money sent to a fund instead of directly into our paycheck) so that when laid off people could get the extra money. Sort of a forced savings account. Now, maybe there wasn't enough leverage to do this at Lear and LSI. But they still got decent benefits and wages, otherwise why would they have worked there?

SpongeBob - you must run to the computer to read my posts, as you commented on it. This is a place to post your opinion (as you did). It is like a bad TV show, if you don't like it, don't look at it. Back to the pineapple underneath the sea squarepants. Tell Patrick hi for me.

It is true that the jobs that Lear and LSI had were once GM jobs (I wouldn't call them SCABS) It was never going to be that they would make the same as GM, otherwise it would have been senseless to let those jobs go out of the plant.

did they receive a paycheck to supply GM?? if yes, then they were doing their job... if a person is doing his/her job, then how is it that the job wasn't theirs if a company shuts its doors?? put the shoe on the other foot, nomore... what would you do if your sector decided to shut down, laying yourself and many others that work in other areas, performing a similar task because something that you and others worked very hard at and ultimately trying to have your end results be recognized in a positive light, only to get the shaft by an organization that has been in the limelight and view you as you are viewing it's suppliers, or even other IT jobs (as an example)?? if it were you in those shoes, would you want more than the shaft when the same union that you are contracted under would rather give you the shaft, only to, in turn, bend over backwards for what appears to be its favorite group of workers, making you the Scab??
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fatcheck: hard to say... there are a lot of discussions within any union that doesn't hit the media... they have that covered under a strict confidentiality policy, which is why when the Gazette and other media sources tried to contact it, phone calls/emails were never returned...

Just because it`s a UAW contract doesn`t mean it is the SAME contract. All WEAC(teachers union) contracts are different, for example. I`m sure they didn`t renege on any of the contractual obligations. If they had done that I`m sure it would have made the front page of the Gazette, not a paper with a good history with unions.

armyof3, my income source doesn't come from manufacturing anything. I work in the Information Technology sector, and yes, those in foreign countries that take IT jobs away from my field are SCABS too! How can I feel sorry for someone who loses their job when it really wasn't theirs to begin with?

nomoremrniceguy: just out of curiosity, with what line of work you do, does your company make the product you need to do your job or do things get shipped to you in your line of work?? 20:1, your employer receives the material necessary to do your job from an outside supplier (doesn't have to be factory, can be clerical)... are you appreciative that you receive materials that work?? if you are, you can thank those that you don't work with for manufaturing what you need to do your every day job... are they SCABS too?? maybe you should be more appreciative, and less negative towards others that are being affected...

to my understanding is that UAW had the same contract standards with its suppliers as it does with GM employees directly, and yet, they renig on the contract because GM made them more money than the suppliers did...
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here's another example... the U.S. military... yes, they have their benefits that the government gives them, but they work very hard at what they've been trained at, much like any other job with a proficient training program... although they're non-union, they only way they get a pay increase is by a promotion in rank... they get a base pay monthly to survive on (which is far less than what GM employees bring home; I'm former military myself and know from experience)... once your time in the service ends, much like the jobs that GM's suppliers held, you're on your own... they'll get their unemployment with no further benefits or SUB when the same negotiation clause that GM had, seeing how it's the same union... why should they be treated with a lesser equality when they were equally important in the manufacturing process??

You negotiate up front, pretty hard to get something after a company is letting you go. What leverage is there?

looking back, what was Acudine's excuse?? the were also Local 95... I've spoken with former employees from there, and the union didn't make any effort to fight for any SUB or benefits for its employees that they let go...

If you listen to the yelling because GM workers are getting what the union bargained for(maybe not if the concessions go through), can you imagine the uproar if the union would have been able to gain those things for Lear, LSI workers. I`m sure they would have if they could have.

As of now the jobs bank is suspended, I can just imagine the howl if GM brought it back, even though the Japanese have an even bigger and better one. They don`t have a two year limit, and they pay 100%. Once the GM employees unemployment and SUB run out, they are on their own. Usually in bad times, unemployment is extended by the state to 52 weeks, we`ll see if they do it now. SUB pay is money the workers had GM put into a fund for the bad times instead of being paid up front, like a savings account. That is not an infinite fund, when too much is taken out the benefit drops, then lower seniority people are dropped from the program. Sooner or later, depending on how many are drawing, the fund goes broke. As of then, the workers have nothing coming in.

fatcheck: going back to my original reference point--"While the GM workers will get at least 48 weeks of nearly full pay—and two years more if the company continues its controversial JOBS bank program—Purnell and other auto supply workers aren't so fortunate.

"They're closing the plant, and I'm going to get nothing," Purnell said.

Much of the attention in recent months has gone to GM workers and their union-negotiated layoff benefits, but Purnell believes that same union, United Auto Workers, let down Lear and LSI employees."

I hope the other laid off workers get the same amount of unemployment!

The usual unemployment is 26 weeks. Far less than what other bloggers say GM employees will get, 2 to 3 years.

Is somebody saying that Lear workers, LSI, don`t get the same number of weeks of unemployment as GM workers get? This would be a new one on me, something I have never heard of. I`m pretty sure every body would be entitled to the same number of weeks.

Localboysince1968- Why don't you do us all a favor and goawayin2009. If your continuous posts make you feel smart then that is just wonderful for you. But you should know that it is absolute torture for the rest of us that every single day on every single blog we have to see your senseless comments that nobody cares to read anymore. Do you really think that we all get up in the morning and run to the this website to see what YOUR worthless opinion is on every freakin' topic? Give it a rest already. If you really feel the need to record your thoughts than start a journal and save us the agony. Happy Holidays.

Armyof 3 - I agree with you, and so does my husband - a GM employee. Our hearts go out to those who have lost their jobs because of GM. And rest assured my husband will not be sittin on his butt collecting unemployment for years. He says he is a man, and a man must work to feel useful. He is not and never has been lazy, many years he never used all his vacation time, thought it was to much time off.
No it is not fair that the other auto industry workers don't get the same in benefits from the state. They should!!!

sammy: my husband lost 3 very good friends in 9/11, and yet, you joke of it being an inside job... I'm with my husband on this rebuttal, but if you were a TRUE american, you wouldn't have even made reference to it...

What I just don't get is all the bailouts to all these corporations. How does that help the little guy? Oh wait. I got it. They took a nice relaxing spa vacation to refresh themselves.
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What the government should have done was disperse those billions of dollars to the citizens who could have paid off their debt to the corporations. Seems to me that would have been a win-win situation.
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But wait! NOW They NEED more money!

Have another beer Sammy

localboy: thank you for seeing my point...

You are right Andy, it isn't the last grille being put on. They will be putting on many for the next 5 months on the Isuzu line. Oh, wait.....you don't care about those 50 jobs. If you did, you would give them a shout out. But, it isn't worth your time to worry about 50 jobs.

I'm not denying it being an issue from a national level/corporate standpoint, however, Janesville GM is not the only company being affected... the stats show that very clearly... is it depressing, yes... is it fair to other people that work for UAW 95 to get lesser treatment than GM employees when they all coexist for the same purpose--to build automobiles??
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all of them are in a bad spot, but seeing how GM has taken the spotlight, many people have failed to see/recognize the other people who worked just as hard to supply GM and getting the shaft... where's their recognition?? it doesn't have to be from a national standpoint for the suppliers to at least be told that they've "all put a lot of hard work into trying to secure a future here. They've built great products. The one thing they cannot take a way from us is hope." If there's hope for GM, then shouldn't there be hope for its suppliers?? without the suppliers, would GM, or any other automotive manufacturing plant, even exist??

Really?Ive been following this long and sad
drama with the auto industry for a long time.
On a national level,I cant remember seeing or
reading anything about the local agreement being
held up as a shining example of anything.
Why its nice to hold out hope there is about
zero percent chance of it happening.
Thats not I saying it thats the *experts* opinion.(you know the ones that make a living
covering these things.)
A example of this is one of the bigger if not
biggest auto news sites with the headline,
GM employees work final day at Ohio SUV plan...
Not a blip about Janesville...sad.

quoting another article: "While the GM workers will get at least 48 weeks of nearly full pay—and two years more if the company continues its controversial JOBS bank program—Purnell and other auto supply workers aren't so fortunate.

"They're closing the plant, and I'm going to get nothing," Purnell said.

Much of the attention in recent months has gone to GM workers and their union-negotiated layoff benefits, but Purnell believes that same union, United Auto Workers, let down Lear and LSI employees."
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yes, it's a sad time for many people because of GM's ultimate closure, there are many other hard working people that are being directly affected by GM ending production/closing its doors that the community has overlooked...
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When General Motors announced it would end SUV production in Janesville, laying off 1,253 workers, local auto suppliers quickly followed suit. Here's a roundup of layoff notices auto suppliers have sent to the state:

-- Lear Corp., Janesville—Closing, laying off 371

-- LSI, Janesville—Closing, laying off 159

-- Flint Special Services (sister company to LSI), Janesville—Closing, laying off 28

-- Allied Automotive Group, Janesville—Laying off 117

-- Woodbridge Group, Brodhead—Laying off 70 workers

-- Total layoffs: 745
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to GM, Lear, LSI, Flint, Allied Automotive, and Woodbridge Group employees, Merry Christmas...