A little disturbed by this - Page 2 - PeachParts Mercedes-Benz Forum

raymr · #16 10-09-2012, 12:26 PM

Any way you slice it, it's bad news. Two weeks ago L-M's highly paid lawyers and top executives found it prudent and necessary to notify employees. Now they don't, even though absolutely nothing changed in the big picture. They are all singing "Don't Worry, Be Happy". At least until November 6.

retmil46 · #17 10-09-2012, 01:30 PM

We're wondering the same thing where I'm working, where we have a contract to build a military version of Class 8 semis.

Back in January, word was with the economy, they didn't know when or if they'd be calling back a second shift.

Suddenly the next week, here comes the Gov of NC, the CFO, and the UAW big-wigs walking in one morning to announce that the company was starting the immediate recall of 1100 people - complete with film crews from every local media outlet - with all of us as a captive audience - and not 10 seconds into it, after announcing the recall, turned it into a BO campaign rally for the next half-hour.

Given the company's history of hiring and firing entire shifts as the economy went up and down over the past 15 years - the totally political nature of the way they made the announcement - and what we knew of our order backlog and other conditions at the plant - nearly everyone in that plant was going "yeah, let's see how long these jobs last past election day".

Well, so far they've only recalled about half of those 1100 people, the order backlog has shrunk from 40,000 trucks to less than 17,000, we;ve had a total of 3 weeks of shutdown time over the past 3 months - but they're still claiming no layoffs planned.

Not buying the BS - every time over the past 15 years, up until the last second, they blew smoke up everyone's rear and told them everything was rosy - then right at the 60 day point drop the hammer. Last go round in 2009, when they laid off all but 600 people at that plant - due in large part to opening a second plant in Mexico - they lied thru their teeth and claimed we weren't eligible for any benefits under the Trade Act of 1974 for moving production out of country - even the UAW parroted the same line. It took 4 guys going on their own dime and talking to a state senator to get the Labor Board to hold their feet to the fire and rule that we were eligible for benefits under that law.

Now that they have the military contract at that plant in addition to their normal output, I've no doubt they'd be more than happy to run with this ruling from the Labor Dept and use it as an excuse to not provide any type of notice of a layoff at that plant, regardless of whether or not the personnel involved actually work on the military trucks themselves.

They had the balls to flat-out lie about the Trade Act last time without any type of legal cover - now they've got a big time excuse courtesy of their military contract and the Labor Dept ruling.

Overwhelming opinion is that shortly after election day many people are at least going to get a 60 day notice - or even immediate termination if they follow the above scenario. Our feeling is we're being used as political pawns, and are nothing more than NC's version of Solyndra.

Dudesky · #18 10-09-2012, 02:56 PM

Obama doesn't want a big layoff before the election. Partly due to him not engineering a budget.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/news/defense-layoffs

Air&Road · #19 10-09-2012, 03:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by retmil46

We're wondering the same thing where I'm working, where we have a contract to build a military version of Class 8 semis.

Back in January, word was with the economy, they didn't know when or if they'd be calling back a second shift.

Suddenly the next week, here comes the Gov of NC, the CFO, and the UAW big-wigs walking in one morning to announce that the company was starting the immediate recall of 1100 people - complete with film crews from every local media outlet - with all of us as a captive audience - and not 10 seconds into it, after announcing the recall, turned it into a BO campaign rally for the next half-hour.

Given the company's history of hiring and firing entire shifts as the economy went up and down over the past 15 years - the totally political nature of the way they made the announcement - and what we knew of our order backlog and other conditions at the plant - nearly everyone in that plant was going "yeah, let's see how long these jobs last past election day".

Well, so far they've only recalled about half of those 1100 people, the order backlog has shrunk from 40,000 trucks to less than 17,000, we;ve had a total of 3 weeks of shutdown time over the past 3 months - but they're still claiming no layoffs planned.

Not buying the BS - every time over the past 15 years, up until the last second, they blew smoke up everyone's rear and told them everything was rosy - then right at the 60 day point drop the hammer. Last go round in 2009, when they laid off all but 600 people at that plant - due in large part to opening a second plant in Mexico - they lied thru their teeth and claimed we weren't eligible for any benefits under the Trade Act of 1974 for moving production out of country - even the UAW parroted the same line. It took 4 guys going on their own dime and talking to a state senator to get the Labor Board to hold their feet to the fire and rule that we were eligible for benefits under that law.

Now that they have the military contract at that plant in addition to their normal output, I've no doubt they'd be more than happy to run with this ruling from the Labor Dept and use it as an excuse to not provide any type of notice of a layoff at that plant, regardless of whether or not the personnel involved actually work on the military trucks themselves.

They had the balls to flat-out lie about the Trade Act last time without any type of legal cover - now they've got a big time excuse courtesy of their military contract and the Labor Dept ruling.

Overwhelming opinion is that shortly after election day many people are at least going to get a 60 day notice - or even immediate termination if they follow the above scenario. Our feeling is we're being used as political pawns, and are nothing more than NC's version of Solyndra.

This was a tough post to read Mitchell! I wish you the very best of luck with all this.

Botnst · #20 10-09-2012, 05:59 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Hatterasguy

Its amazing that these company's are contemplating layoffs when they are selling so much stuff. Sounds politically motivated to me.

Defense contractors are so full of it, they have been racking it in over the past decade with all the wars going on. UTC still cry's but its order books on S92's are back logged until 2016.

They just like to cry so people feel bad for them and get their politicians to vote for $$$ for them. I'm going to speculate that the guys running these companies want Romny to win because they think he will stop the defense cuts and possible throw some more cash at their industry, so the threat of layoffs to make the dems look bad is a good political tactic that might swing a few votes.

This is what's driving this country off the fiscal cliff, special interests own all our politicians.

My brother had a notice from his company that the agency for whom they do contract work told the contractor that they didn't have to warn of impending lay-offs but that it's always a possibility. My bro' is sending out his resume'.

1991300SEL · #21 10-09-2012, 06:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 10fords

Who does this benefit?

I suspect the guy running for reelection - office of the president of the United States.

Would he want a group of contract employees informed of pending doom just days before the election?

10fords · #22 10-09-2012, 08:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 1991300SEL

I suspect the guy running for reelection - office of the president of the United States.

Would he want a group of contract employees informed of pending doom just days before the election?

Ding ding ding- we have a winner!

rs899 · #23 10-10-2012, 07:15 AM

If this really happens (congress fails to act and defense gets whacked) the funny thing is that , in addition to causing a massive uptick in unemployment, most of the crap we are currently buying that is affected will be rendered useless.

As a subcontract administrator (assuming I am still employed) I will be tasked to terminate contracts where they are "for convenience". Contractors will be asked to "box up" and ship whatever they have (or scrap it). Contractors will have parts on order that "we" will pay for that will never be used. Services will be terminated before any results are obtained or reports written. The costs of doing this sort of stuff will be rippling and bouncing through the system. Chaos.

Then, if Romney happens to win it and is sworn in, he's going to have us spin it all back up again? And buy more? Defies logic...but what else is new...

raymr · #24 10-10-2012, 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rs899

Then, if Romney happens to win it and is sworn in, he's going to have us spin it all back up again? And buy more? Defies logic...but what else is new...

It's getting harder to sweep that $16T elephant under the rug.

Either:
a) The government and military-industrial complex have an incredible trick up their sleeve to fix the budget that nobody else knows about.

b) They are complicit in one of the biggest ever deceptions of the American public.

This issue is just complicated enough to make most people not care. All they want to see is another few months of normalcy, which is what they have now.

Botnst · #25 10-10-2012, 07:57 PM

I'll take door number 3 for $30: The two parties have been running-up the bill in every regard for 150 years. And we'll elect the same pond of scum back into office in November. And they'll make another run and further indebting our descendents for another generation. Bread AND circuses.