Ford to add 635 more U.S. jobs

[sabra]

Source: Detroit Free Press

Ford said today that it plans to bring 1,975 jobs in-house to its plants across the U.S. instead of at plants operated by suppliers that in some cases are in Mexico and Japan.

“We’re bringing jobs home to America,” Mark Fields, president of the Americas, said today during the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.

By insourcing the work, Ford said it will exceed commitments it previously made to the UAW to do by 25%.

Already, Ford said it has brought 1,340 jobs normally done by suppliers into 24 U.S. plants. With its announcement today, Ford said it plans to bring another 635 to nine Ford plants in the U.S. by 2012.

Could there be more? "We’ll look at it,” Fields said.

Read more: http://www.freep.com/article/20100804/BUSINESS01/100804023/Ford-to-add-635-more-U-S-jobs

[Uncle Joe]

1. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, sabra.:thumbsup:

[LongTomH]

2. A Beginning!

Dare we hope for more jobs to 'come home?'

[Tuesday Afternoon]

3. small drop/big bucket...

it is a beginning.

[Roland99]

4. What's the net amount of jobs sent overseas, though?

How many other plant closures/moves have sent more jobs overseas than this can make up for?

Don't be deluded by a wave of the hand.

[democrank]

5. Really, really good news.

Bring the jobs home.

[girl gone mad]

6. I think the new hires will earn half the wages..

of older employees, if I read an earlier report correctly.

[Coastal Skies]

12. Union wage progression

It is typical in a union shop for new hires to receive a wage progression based on a % of full rate. As a manager for a union shop my employee's would start out at 70% of full rate and it went up 5% every year until the 100% rate was realized. This was independent of any contractual and COLA increases. some years an employee might receive a 10% raise which is virtually unheard of in this economic era. I managed 17 independent unions, some teamsters etc..

Respectfully,
Coastal Skies

[Romulox]

13. You've been corrected on this point before.

You are wrong about the new UAW two-tiered wage system.

[FBaggins]

15. And compared to what they're making now?

I'd imagine that many are still pleased.

[Steerpike]

16. that's the point of this game

to permanently depress wages and make people grateful to have long hours and low pay while demonizing unions...

not the first time this has been done in the U.S. (or in the world for that matter)...

[FBaggins]

18. It's reasonable for the union to make a move that improves job security.

I don't know about half (I also don't know that it's true), but if the boss comes to you and says that he can get your job filled in Mexico for 60 cents on your dollar, it's going to be hard to keep a job (even if he agrees that he would like to keep you). You may not be able to convince him that the "right thing to do" is pay the full dollar, but at 80 cents you could convince him that it was worth doing. "Right thing to do" is worth some of that and currency (and foreign policy) risks should cover the rest.

[Steerpike]

19. ok

I realize how intricate the situation really is...but if you just complacently accept this as the status quo...well just kiss the middle class in the US goodbye...

but it sounds like your ok with that

[FBaggins]

20. They're far closer to the middle class

than the unemployed former auto workers are. Are you against that?

Unions only have power when their collective bargaining muscle can accomplish something. It would be nice to think that the results must always be a line of steady progress, but reality teaches us that sometimes "losing less than you otherwise would" is itself a victory.

Pyrrhic victories, otoh, aren't.

[Steerpike]

21. yup

better than a shit pie and a hot poker up your ass too...

really how do you feel about the disappearance of the middle class then? i'm surprised you sound so good about it...

[FBaggins]

22. I don't accept the premise of your question.

To the extent that the middle class is disappearing, it is because middle class jobs are headed overseas.

The return of some of those jobs (even at lower, but still middle-class wages) is a move that helps build the middle class, not destroy it.

The only alternative is to mandate job numbers (and salaries) by government fiat. Of course the much cheaper foreign labor (now unaffiliated with american companies) will produce far cheaper competing products (and not necessarily at lower quality levels) which will put those companies out of business (doing what exactly for the middle class???). The only alternative to that outcome would be price controls and import restrictions. Which means that we would have more middle class workers, but that supposedly middle-class salary wouldn't pay for the same lifestyle.

[Steerpike]

24. you

are wrong...and the numbers speak against you...but i think you know that

[Fearless]

7. Could we add several zeros after that number please??

[Coastal Skies]

8. FoMoCo

Ford is still the car of the people. They have never lost the ideal that there workers should be able to afford the products they manufacture.
Henry came out withe the $5.00 work day for employees, (twice that of what G.M. was paying at the time). They still hold this philosophy today which is evident by not needing tarp money. I believe in my heart of hearts that bailing out General Motors was a bad thing in the long term picture. They were rewarded for bad behavior and it is evident in the current model line up..

Job well done Ford...

Respectfully,
Coastal Skies

[pampango]

9. ...plans to bring 1,975 jobs in-house...instead of at plants...in some cases in Mexico and Japan.

"Ford said today that it plans to bring 1,975 jobs in-house to its plants across the U.S. instead of at plants operated by suppliers that in some cases are in Mexico and Japan.

“We’re bringing jobs home to America,” Mark Fields, president of the Americas, said today during the CAR Management Briefing Seminars in Traverse City.

By insourcing the work, Ford said it will exceed commitments it previously made to the UAW to do by 25%."

[closeupready]

10. Go Ford!

:)

[Steerpike]

11. yup...

14 dollars an hour...and future wages are now depressed...getting paid less than your parents and thankful for it!

[Blue_Tires]

14. finally....

[Xenotime]

17. Good for Ford. Good for the administration.

[Jack_DeLeon]

23. I'm glad Ford is doing good...

I'm also glad I bought some ford stock at $2 a share.