wiggle, the contract has been settled. Your post is mostly hot air.

The union said in a statement that it had successfully fought G.M.’s proposals to weaken retirement benefits and obtain major concessions to health benefits.

“In both pensions and health care, the U.A.W. was able to convince G.M. that far greater success could be achieved working together than by cutting pensions or health care,” it said.
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/busine...

Let me add to the rumor mill. I have family and friends that work at the Ft. Wayne plant. The union contract was up midnight on Wed 9-14. The rumor has it GM is putting out there that employees will have to pay anywhere from 20 to 100 a week for their health ins. Who on here that doesn't work under a union, pays 400 a month for their health insuance while making 20 to 25 per hour which is what most workers make since GM is trying to eliminate skilled trades
Also rumor has it that GM is offering another big buy out for skilled trades people with 30 years in - who have decided not to retire at 30 years - to eliminate as many of the skilled trades as they can and replace them with outside companies.
And here's the rumor that will get all your undies in a bundle. They will be closing the Ft Wayne plant and moving the silverado production to Janesville. Which would be more cost effective for GM even if they have to replace to paint dept in Janesville. The plant in IN is to small to keep up with the demand of the silverado. To build on to the IN plant - which GM does not own - would cost GM more than replacing the paint dept and retooling in Janesville. The Janesville plant is like a fresh sheet of paper, there is nothing in there to take apart, all they would need to do is 'retool' it to build the silverado.
OK you all can have fun with this post! The contract talks were stoped so the weekend partys could begin. It will take months to get any true details from either side so let the bashing begin!

janesvillean - remember that the Obama administration walked GM 'around' the bankruptcy process because of the deep, dark secrets that would have come to light. GM never appeared in a Bankruptcy Court, so there really is no 'null and void' to an agreement.

troyjanss, the old General Motors also owned the properties that it liquidated in the bankruptcy, and the successor body holding those site, the General Motors Company, is financially responsible for cleanup under agreements with the federal government -- although such contributions are limited by the value of the assets it holds. If GM had wanted to avoid the costs of cleanup it would have put Janesville into the liquidation. There is nothing that makes sense about transferring it to the new GM, especially since in your theory it is a massive liability.

Hey 2209 Im not the one working at GM.And another thing . I like it down here. We dont have to pay state income taxes and the weather is great in the fall.Im not complaining,my spouse is in the management side of GM.My spouse says in meetings management says no to most of the demands of the union,and the union just backs down and doesnt pursue the matter any further.Why dont you just quit shooting off your mouth before you know the facts.

Hey tracco6
The fact that you have a job to move to in texas is because of the union. Stop complaining and do the job they pay you to do. If you had a real problem other then being mad you had to leave home they would address it. You can always quit and move back by mommy

We moved to Texas almost 3 years ago for a job with GM.Another factor I think is the union is almost non-factor down here,there like a spineless jellyfish

I agree with troy that GM is holding on the plant just because they own it and the waste clean up would put a big hole in GM's pocket. There never was any intention to open up the plant agains as it to costly to keep it open. It just much cheaper to pay the taxes then to clean it up and tear it down.

gmvillians crack me up

They undoubtably kept Janesville because they actually OWN Janesvilles Plant and Property and fear what it would cost to clean up all the lead based paint and grease and oil that have been dumped there intentionally or accidentilly

While the odds seem long that GM will reopen Janesville anytime soon, there are a couple positive points. 1) GM kept Janesville, they could keep any plant they wanted, they kept Janesville. 2) $500 million for a new paint line, or any improvements to Janesville means nothing to GM, it's a tax write off for them. 3) Recovering equipment wasn't the only reason they stripped the Janesville plant, they now have a clean slate to work with when (if) designing a new assembly line. It's cheaper to start with a clean slate, all new equipment means higher efficiency, in both operations and energy use.

zoom, get a life. do you look through every statement in every article in the Gazette just to get a political dig in??? you have way too much time on your hands, try using it for something positive.

I don't want to give false hope to anybody, but the fact is that they kept Janesville when they shed almost every other mothballed plant in the bankruptcy.
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andiwonderwhy, the road was not built at GM's behest and there was no quid pro quo to keep jobs here. If there had been, any such agreement would have been null and void with the bankruptcy. There has been no announcement from GM that they were going to reopen Janesville.

"Haslam spokesman David Smith tells The Associated Press that the company’s primary concern about ramping up the Spring Hill plant is vehicle demand, rather than tax incentives from the state."

I thought I would paste that comment here, just so the Teapublicans can read that again. CORPORATIONS DON'T NEED LOWER TAXES. THEY NEED MORE PEOPLE TO BUY THEIR PRODUCTS.

Does this mean GM is not coming back to Janesville?

Now that they are apparently "making" money maybe the powers that be should look into what it would take to clean-up the toxic waste site formerly known as GM Janesville, so GM actually pays for it rather than the taxpayers.

gwendt, now your gonna blame Walker for GM not reopening in Janesville??? Get a life and your head out of the sand. The GM plant here is antiquated to say the least and I doubt GM is gonna wanna pour anymore money into that money pit, you can paint a turd, but it is still gonna stink. Walker had nothing to do with this. People just need to stop the dream that GM is gonna reopen and that has to start with the city leaders, they need to stop getting peoples hopes up by constantly hinting at something that will never happen, when are they gonna tear that eyesore down?
Time to take your anti-bitter pills gwendt.

Open for Business hmmmm seems like something i seen & heard quite often after the Governor's election. Why are we having people laid off & getting help from the federal government to "buck up" the Unemployment Fund? another campaign promise "shot down"

The Janesville plant needs a whole new paint shop, thats almost $500 million dollars right there.Also no stamping plant nearby either hurts Janesville too.

Haven't they heard that Wisconsin is open for business?

I thought that GM was going re-start the Janesville plant...what happened??? Could it have been the fact that Janesville is an old plant? no major vendors near by? I thought they said "If you build the road we would be here for a long time". I guess the word "long" means different lengths of time to some than it does others. ---a little sarcasim