GM and Rock County business


Core or non-core? What's the rush?

By Jim Leute ( Contact )   October 30, 2007 - 3:13 p.m.

Still scratching your head over why it’s so important to properly classify jobs at the General Motors plant in Janesville as either “core” or “non-core?”

After all, such a job classification has no effect on current employees, who—as a result of the recent GM-United Auto Workers contract—will continue to receive their customary wages.

But where the new classifications will come into play is with new hires. They’ll either be hired into a core job, one directly tied to making a vehicle, or a non-core position, which the new contract classified as secondary to automobile production. Examples include material movers, paint room mixers and inventory managers.

Core jobs will carry a higher pay rate, while non-core jobs will be paid about half as much.

Given the fact that the local plant hasn’t exactly thrown open the floodgates to new hires in recent years, what’s the big deal?

It will be a big deal if GM offers another round of buyouts early next year. Those taking a buyout, coupled with the fact that another 40,000 GM employees are eligible for retirement and early retirement, could mean plenty of openings at GM plants around the country.

And most likely, a large portion of those will be filled with the lower-paid, non-core workers.

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