Just read on the Internet that Ford USA has anounced 75000 jobs to go in the US.
see below:-

Ford to axe thousands of US jobs...............

Car giant Ford is to offer redundancy to all of its 75,000 workers in the US.

The company is due to make a statement later on its updated restructuring plans.

Ford has struggled to get to grips with falling market share and slowing sales of its once highly profitable line of pickup trucks and SUVs.

It posted a £66.5 million loss in the second quarter of 2006 and is seeking to cut costs as it tries to turn its performance around.

"The pressure for Ford to accelerate its current restructuring efforts has reached a crescendo," said Merrill Lynch analyst John Murphy.

The US United Auto Workers union said the company would offer packages of up to £74,000 to all staff members

The company had previously announced it would cut up to 30,000 jobs and close 14 plants by 2012.

Interesting to see the comments about the pickups and SUV's.
Has Dodge really been making that much ingress into Ford?
Or is it the cost of fuel?

From a UK perspective, I guess all sales of low MPG vehicles in the USA, trucks especially, have really taken a hit with the increase of your fuel prices.
We're well used to extraordinary pricing for our fuel, but I guess it's really hitting you in the US?
I bet used car saes and values will really have taken a dive?
Dicounting new vehicles so heavily to sell them by the manufacturers, makes the selling of used cars etc virtually impossible for any kind of decent money.

Dodge will have to look very closely at it's own policies, if it's not to go the way of Ford. Especially with the Hemi getting really poor MPG and all.

I'm sorry for the loss of the jobs in Ford, for the people concerned.
I've been made redundant a few times and it's a bitch.
Al.

 

Well, I for one am glad to see Ford go in the crapper. They've been building crap for years....and living off people's stupidity in buying Ford trucks...when there were better built trucks by GM and Dodge out there. On top of which, the only real sales Ford has had for any car has been the Mustang.....ever since they canned the old Thunderbird and the older Taurus's....they're sucking in car sales.

I do feel bad for the workers though, because it's not their fault that Ford builds crappy cars no one wants.

As for DCX, they're doing okay with the Hemi's in cars....but the truth is they too need to step it up and get better MPG's in their trucks and SUV's with a quickness. Chevy has a car in virtually every category capable of getting 25mpg or better......including the Corvette.....so that's something Dodge will need to start looking for if they want to maintain their industry climbing spree...

 

If GM and DCX were smart they'd fire everyone and close their plants too - for a month or however long it would take to stamp out the UAW. Those unions are costing the companies billions of dollars in lost productivity, forcing them to overprice the vehicles to offset the costs. The automakers need to switch to a merit based pay system and get rid of the unions. This isn't 1950 anymore - people aren't loyal to the company and the company shouldn't have to be loyal to crap employees. Pay the hard workers what they're worth and fire the others.

 

One of the best damn statements I've heard....

 

I haven't made up my mind on unions. I am self-employed and therefore slightly jealous of the amazing benefits those guys can get but also annoyed at the fact that they just get these things given to them. No matter how hard I work, I can't get 6 weeks paid time off or full health insurance. I can compensate for that by making more money (which is really hard) but I can't get the benefit itself.

Also, when unions were first big in the US they were really needed. Employers had no problems making people work in deplorable conditions. Now, with OSHA and EPA oversight, they don't have as much to worry about for safety or environmental problems. Now unions seem to me to be more about pay raises and health insurance instead of just getting workers home to their families at night. Am I wrong on this? When UAW went on strike a few years ago, I remember reading about these assembly-line workers spending a month out on their boat on Lake Michigan.

I'm conflicted because, without the unions, the workers would get screwed by these corporations, because everybody who doesn't have a union does get screwed. But they push too far for the value they bring.

 

This is really too bad considering those jobs probably aren't getting totally eliminated, they're more than likely going to some 12 year old in indonesia. I hate to see American jobs go over sea's. On the Union thing though I think they are rediculous. I live in Las Vegas and the casino workers union is THE strongest union in the country and one that mexican "no show" day when no one showed up to work they all got to keep their job because the union lawyers would be pounding the casinos *** if they fired any of them. It's complete b.s. that workers who don't work to their full potential are making boat loads of money because they could pass a drug test and pay some of their pay check to the union every month. I am only 18 and a freshman in college so I am not as worldly as most of you but I certainly have my views on this.

 

Yup, Unions are killing this country's products.

They had there time, but its long gone.

Merit is the way to go.

 

Be careful................very careful...................that's what management/shareholders want to here.
Divide and conquer my friend.
I'm personally, all for restraint and an even balance between management and the unions.
A status quo (good band BTW ha ha ha).
Too much one way or the other, screws things up.
I believe were far too educated these days to let things go to the extreme either way.
I guess that's what your sayings happening at the moment with the unions is it?
It'll swing back the other way.
However, as I intimated earlier and said more profoundly by DevilsAdvocate later, Dodge need to get their respect power plants into the double figures to survive, considering the opositions 25mpg etc.
The best looking truck/car in the world, as Dodges are, will not apeal to the masses if it's too costly to run!
This beautiful & bountious thing called oil, is on the wane. High prices are here to stay. We MUST (Dodge) adapt.

Al.

 

I hate unions, they have never done me any good and taken good coin from me for the privliage of doing a job, This is basied on my working expierances and I will never work For a employer that is a union under neath its boot..

I used to own Ford's, a lot of them, I never had any issues, I owned a T-bird, last year of the 5.0 and that car hauled and handeled better than a GT mustang of the day. I owned a lot of of F-150's as well, but from 02 to 04 I had more things go wrong with thease **** poor trucks than abused cars/trucks I bought on the cheap.

Ford service lives in the crapper and the quality of workmanship and materials has gone the way of the first generation Hyundia pony, I will never ever buy a Ford product.

I like the crown vic, and I like the mustang GT, the 300C and thae charger out perform the crown vic and have two extra doors more than the GT mustang.

THe sad part is thier are a lot of UAW who know the gig is up and a lot more quality control issues are goning to be placed on the Hands of Fords dealer net work which is not that great..

On my 04 F-150 reg cab 4x4 long box, Ford installed a 550 cca battery and two ply 235 70 17 hancook tires, this was supposed to be the Built Ford Tough truck with innovations, all B/S, I had a upgraded xlt with the 3V 5.4, the engine knocked so bad it sounded worse than a powerstroke or cummons at idle....

And Ford has history of ignoring problems on the 97 to 04 Hertiage F-150's, bad ball joints, tie rods, plug throwing 5.4s, cracking door skins, cruse control fires, ect ect..

I know what Ford needs to turn it arround, But I'm not telling, The Built Ford Tough days are done.

 

I 2nd what cyclone429 saids I was a Hard Core Ford Truck Ownner for the last 10 Years they use to make a great truck but Most Ford ownners will not admite the trucks are junk I use to be one of them'.

FORD knows they are bulidling junk and will not fix them as many others have done I made the swicth back to Dodge I happy with the truck but the MPG could be better.

Ford use to be #1 in a way they still are #1 in selling JUNK.

Just go look at the FORD Forum and how many problems the trucks have and they keep on repeating the same problems every couple pages and the worst thing FORD knows about them and will not fit the truck and some cases saids thats normal that a $50000 truck blows plugs the ball joint fall aparts ect.

I like the older Ford Trucks but after 1999 and newer THERE JUNK.

It seams they are doning the same thing back in the 70's made a good product then start making junk and after losing money they will start once again making a better or a good product it history repeating it self most auto manafactures have been though this building junk at least once you think they would learn it just hurts the custormers and there sale and it takes a very long time to come back from is this worth losing all those custormers and losing all that money or is this more corparate greed to get rid of the working man who just trying to feed and put a roof over his or hers families heads.

So the upper mangament can get a pay raise you know what I mean I think most of us have worked for these greedy Bast'er are self at least once.

Oh Yea I worked for Union and Non Union shops there is some companies that Union still can help the works rights but most places don't need unions any more, BUT if Push comes to Shove THE UNION WILL SELL YOU OUT been there had it happen to me and 1000's other aircraft workers after 09-11-2001.

Yes The Union sold us out so the head Union pepole could save there jobs.