Read it and weep

catastrophe

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A MODERN PARABLE . .


A Japanese company ( Toyota ) and an American company (Ford) decided to have a canoe race on the Missouri River. Both teams practiced long and hard to reach their peak performance before the race.

On the big day, the Japanese won by a mile.

The Americans, very discouraged and depressed, decided to investigate the reason for the crushing defeat. A management team made up of senior management was formed to investigate and recommend appropriate action.

Their conclusion was the Japanese had 8 people rowing and 1 person steering, while the American team had 8 people steering and 1 person rowing.

Feeling a deeper study was in order, American management hired a consulting company and paid them a large amount of money for a second opinion.

They advised, of course, that too many people were steering the boat, while not enough people were rowing.

Not sure of how to utilize that information, but wanting to prevent another loss to the Japanese, the rowing team's management structure was totally reorganized to 4 steering supervisors, 3 area steering superintendents, and 1 assistant superintendent steering manager.

They also implemented a new performance system that would give the 1 person rowing the boat greater incentive to work harder. It was called the 'Rowing Team Quality First Program,' with meetings, dinners, and free pens for the rower There was discussion of getting new paddles, canoes, and other equipment, extra vacation days for practices and bonuses.

The next year the Japanese won by two miles.

Humiliated, the American management laid off the rower for poor performance, halted development of a new canoe, sold the paddles, and canceled all capital investments for new equipment. The money saved was distributed to the Senior Executives as bonuses and the next year's racing team was out-sourced to India.

Sadly, The End.

Here's something else to think about:
Ford has spent the last thirty years moving all its factories out of the US, claiming they can't make money paying American wages.

TOYOTA has spent the last thirty years building more than a dozen plants inside the US. The last quarter's results:

TOYOTA makes 4 billion in profits while Ford racked up 9 billion in losses.

Ford folks are still scratching their heads.

IF THIS WEREN"T TRUE IT WOULD BE FUNNY
 
Sad, but the do nothing to change themselves. You gotta think that somewhere employed with the big 3 - that someone has got to have a clue and the drive to change things.
Can't be that ALL those people are that frigging stupid.
 
Sad, but the do nothing to change themselves. You gotta think that somewhere employed with the big 3 - that someone has got to have a clue and the drive to change things.
Can't be that ALL those people are that frigging stupid.

Its hard to change things for the better when you are outnumbered by laziness and poor work ethic.
Problem is for every one guy who gets it and wants to change things, there are fifty others who are happy with the current situation, who dont like the idea of being paid less to work more, or even having to work more for the same pay, who dont want to axe their buddies and fellow workers.
 
Do you think if you asked the union to back up 5.00 an hour you would get any support if they were told it would save the employees careers ?
 
The UAW has done just as much to destroy the American auto industry as the manufacturers have. The big three are not without blame but when an assembly line employee makes 50+ an hour, gets every federal holiday off, 30 days vacation, 10 sick days, and only has to know one relatively small portion of the car they work on, something is wrong.

I as a dealership mechanic have to know all the systems of every model that company builds have no where near the benefits and make way less money.

There has never been a time when a UAW contract expired and they did not get more money, benefits and require less work from their union members from the companies.
 
I guess now that the auto industry is doing so poorly, alot of the UAW guys will be enjoying the unemployment lines. With all the money and bennies they get I hope it helps them out. As for the rest of us that work for auto industry, we also might be looking for work. I know of lots of techs from dealers are starving, or worst yet looking for new ways to make a living.


You have to love American know how!
 
I guess now that the auto industry is doing so poorly, alot of the UAW guys will be enjoying the unemployment lines. With all the money and bennies they get I hope it helps them out. As for the rest of us that work for auto industry, we also might be looking for work. I know of lots of techs from dealers are starving, or worst yet looking for new ways to make a living.


You have to love American know how!

When the big three signed the last contract it had the job banks clause. The management guarantied employment for the workers. Translation, show up for work and you get paid full wages and benefits even if you have to play cards or read a book, just as long as your there. So they don't enjoy the unemployment line.

$50/hr X 2040hr/year X 10,000 employees= 1 billion $

And now the government is going to bail them out?
 
everytime a union signs a contract for less $ the management takes huge bonuses, not much of an incentive to take a cut. I remember american airline pilots took a huge cut in pay, then upper management all took huge (as in 1 million dollar bonuses) now they are fu*cked again (AA)
 
everytime a union signs a contract for less $ the management takes huge bonuses, not much of an incentive to take a cut. I remember american airline pilots took a huge cut in pay, then upper management all took huge (as in 1 million dollar bonuses) now they are fu*cked again (AA)

Change the tax code so bonuses can't be expensed by the companies
 
the uaw has done just as much to destroy the american auto industry as the manufacturers have. The big three are not without blame but when an assembly line employee makes 50+ an hour, gets every federal holiday off, 30 days vacation, 10 sick days, and only has to know one relatively small portion of the car they work on, something is wrong.

I as a dealership mechanic have to know all the systems of every model that company builds have no where near the benefits and make way less money.

There has never been a time when a uaw contract expired and they did not get more money, benefits and require less work from their union members from the companies.

well said!
 
Why are you guys even worried about any of this? Our new president has ALL the answers and on January 20, 2009 he will wave his magic wand and all this will be straightened out before the first few months of his term has passed. It's obvious you guys have not been listening to any of his campaign promises.
 
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