GM Cutting Over Fourteen Thousand Jobs

[keepthefaith]

1 hour ago, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

A comment that I saw on another message board:

 

I'm American but spend about half my time in France.

Ford makes an entry level model called "Ka", which costs around 10,000 euros, approx. $11,500 and gets 45/75 MPG.

Other American and European auto manufacturers sell similar entry level cars. Renault offers an all-electric 4 door sedan for around 23,000 euros, + 39 euros monthly "rent" for the battery, which they will replace when it can no longer carry more than a 75% charge. I believe the car has  a range of around 200 miles.

For low priced, high fuel efficiency cars and electric cars, the choices in Europe are much better than the USA. And some of the best choices are made by American manufacturers! 

Yes but American car buyers are different and the majority don't want tiny cars.  Europe has had much higher gasoline and diesel prices for decades.  The car companies cater to their regional markets.  If U.S. buyers suddenly demand more small cars, U.S. car makers will sell them domestically.

 

 

2 hours ago, Tiberius said:

Will Trump threaten this company too? Libertarians were so NOT upset when Trump did that to other companies. 

 

What does Trump have to do with GM cutting their costs due to declining auto sales?

 

 

1 hour ago, \GoBillsInDallas/ said:

Sign of the times, as all of the affected locations produce small-to-medium size passenger cars (which nobody is buying anymore).

 

Contrast that to GM's Arlington (TX) plant which produces pickups and SUVs and is running three shifts right now to keep up with the demand.

 

That's part of it.  Sales of vehicles in the U.S. are declining overall after about 3 years of record numbers.  It's a cyclical business to some extent.  When record numbers buy new cars over a few years, fewer buyers are in the market for a while. Ford will be next to announce some cuts although they have been making cuts and moving older workers into retirement for the past year or so.  Raw material cost increases are also driving cost cutting.  Additionally the car companies are finding ways to bring cars to market faster and are doing so with more simulation and fewer hours invested by actual workers. 

Edited November 26, 2018 by keepthefaith

[Tiberius]

1 hour ago, RochesterRob said:

  You can fool yourself but you are very obvious to the rest of us.  As to Asia it is one step at a time regardless of your political affiliation.  In your case it is embargoes and sanctions to get the Asian countries to do what you want at least until like minded individuals take over leadership.  In your mind China was heading the right direction with Mao but then people started wanting things.  

You are an idiot 

32 minutes ago, keepthefaith said:

 

 

 

 

What does Trump have to do with GM cutting their costs due to declining auto sales?

 

 

 

He was threatening other companies early in his presidency over this issue. Libertarians said nothing. They screamed like little bags of trash when Obama wanted BP to clean up its spilled oil, though. Shows you want "Libertarianism" is really all about. 

[keepthefaith]

5 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

You are an idiot 

He was threatening other companies early in his presidency over this issue. Libertarians said nothing. They screamed like little bags of trash when Obama wanted BP to clean up its spilled oil, though. Shows you want "Libertarianism" is really all about. 

 

Trump ranted about companies moving production and workers out of the U.S. That's not the same thing as cutting payroll costs due to increases in other costs and declining sales.

[Tiberius]

2 minutes ago, keepthefaith said:

 

Trump ranted about companies moving production and workers out of the U.S. That's not the same thing as cutting payroll costs due to increases in other costs and declining sales.

Cutting jobs is cutting costs 

[RochesterRob]

10 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

You are an idiot 

He was threatening other companies early in his presidency over this issue. Libertarians said nothing. They screamed like little bags of trash when Obama wanted BP to clean up its spilled oil, though. Shows you want "Libertarianism" is really all about. 

  You are hardly stealthy in your views and vision.  You want a government that firmly controls the masses.

[Tiberius]

9 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  You are hardly stealthy in your views and vision.  You want a government that firmly controls the masses.

Doesn't the government already do that? 

[Wacka]

1 hour ago, Tiberius said:

How would that stop Asia from building more coal burning power plants? 

 

Don't tell me what I dream on, you idiot. How stupid does a person have to be to tell a person what they dream of? 

Do you dream of electric sheep?

[whatdrought]

Isn’t the reality of this that GM just can’t compete? As someone who just bought a new vehicle, this doesn’t surprise me at all- the plants being cut make cars that don’t measure up.

 

Also, the article references the trend towards larger vehicles that a poster mentioned earlier- the problem here is the GM is historically mismanaged and didn’t anticipate such trends ahead of time. This isn’t new, it’s Called the free market.

[Tiberius]

3 minutes ago, Wacka said:

Do you dream of electric sheep?

Shut up 

[RochesterRob]

6 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

Doesn't the government already do that? 

  Not like it is done or has been done in socialist or communist states.  You are concerned about burning up the planet so no doubt you are in favor of limiting population such as China has tried to do with a one child per couple law.  Perhaps food should be rationed to the most "intellectually promising" so the mouth breathers will be gone in 50-60 years.  Likewise energy should be rationed to the most "intellectually promising" to keep the planet from burning up.  Those determined to be nothing more than a drag on resources due to lacking intellectual creativity will be limited to a certain number of calories and watts that might sustain a cat on a daily basis.  Am I getting close?

5 minutes ago, Wacka said:

Do you dream of electric sheep?

  It would considerably deepen the dating pool for guys like him.

[Tiberius]

10 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  Not like it is done or has been done in socialist or communist states.  You are concerned about burning up the planet so no doubt you are in favor of limiting population such as China has tried to do with a one child per couple law.  Perhaps food should be rationed to the most "intellectually promising" so the mouth breathers will be gone in 50-60 years.  Likewise energy should be rationed to the most "intellectually promising" to keep the planet from burning up.  Those determined to be nothing more than a drag on resources due to lacking intellectual creativity will be limited to a certain number of calories and watts that might sustain a cat on a daily basis.  Am I getting close?

  It would considerably deepen the dating pool for guys like him.

With the demographic shift in this country, the Democrats are going to do pretty well going forward. You better move to Putin's Russia! 

[RochesterRob]

3 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

With the demographic shift in this country, the Democrats are going to do pretty well going forward. You better move to Putin's Russia! 

  I'll concede that as long as the printing presses for currency keep running it is hopeful for the Democrats but past that people will get tired of being fed garbage even when the Democrats call it caviar.  I think that Putin's Russia is more conducive for guys like you and we both know that.  Still far less individual freedom for the average person and you prefer it that way.  Travel is still far from being totally unrestricted but not as bad as the old Soviet days.  There are still eyes in every locale for people deemed unfriendly to the state.

[3rdnlng]

Gleeful Gator Porn

[Tiberius]

57 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  I'll concede that as long as the printing presses for currency keep running it is hopeful for the Democrats but past that people will get tired of being fed garbage even when the Democrats call it caviar.  I think that Putin's Russia is more conducive for guys like you and we both know that.  Still far less individual freedom for the average person and you prefer it that way.  Travel is still far from being totally unrestricted but not as bad as the old Soviet days.  There are still eyes in every locale for people deemed unfriendly to the state.

Oh no, your love of Trump shows your love of corrupt strongmen. You would love the lack of rights and freedoms, low immigration, low number of protests and all the Liberals rotting in Russia jails for speaking out. Your kind of rotten place. 

[DC Tom]

3 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

Oh no, your love of Trump shows your love of corrupt strongmen. 

 

Ironic in a thread about a company whose lenders were forced by Obama to forgive that company's senior debt.

[RochesterRob]

4 minutes ago, Tiberius said:

Oh no, your love of Trump shows your love of corrupt strongmen. You would love the lack of rights and freedoms, low immigration, low number of protests and all the Liberals rotting in Russia jails for speaking out. Your kind of rotten place. 

  Strongmen usually have complete power.  Trump has anything but.  Not a Trump lover but his willingness to throw convention to the side has some promise.  I certainly can't give him a grade as his work is incomplete in most areas to this point.

[keepthefaith]

1 hour ago, whatdrought said:

Isn’t the reality of this that GM just can’t compete? As someone who just bought a new vehicle, this doesn’t surprise me at all- the plants being cut make cars that don’t measure up.

 

Also, the article references the trend towards larger vehicles that a poster mentioned earlier- the problem here is the GM is historically mismanaged and didn’t anticipate such trends ahead of time. This isn’t new, it’s Called the free market.

 

GM is building some very good cars and trucks.  On what basis do you say their products don't measure up?  Different strokes for different folks but GM still has the highest market share of any car maker in the U.S. market. 

[Tiberius]

4 minutes ago, RochesterRob said:

  Strongmen usually have complete power.  Trump has anything but.  Not a Trump lover but his willingness to throw convention to the side has some promise.  I certainly can't give him a grade as his work is incomplete in most areas to this point.

That's why you should move to Russia, they murder journalists there! That must get you hot! 

[RochesterRob]

  Murder journalists?  Until now I thought that was a low blow for even you but now I know better.  Anyways, I am too much a lover of this country and like seeing a thriving middle class among other things.  Russia although it currently does not openly state it still considers the US an adversary and really thinks that economic gain should be pretty well be limited to a ruling class.  Sounds like you to a tee.

[IDBillzFan]

The downside is that so many people are about to lose their jobs.

 

The upside is that the rest of the country is hiring and wages keep increasing.

 

Sounds like an opportunity for 15,000 people.