Ford lays off 600 workers at plant targeted by UAW strike::Ford is laying off workers while the UAW is striking against Ford, GM, and Stellantis. This is getting complicated.
With Ford and GM both doing this, do I need to buy a Dodge? Ugh.
Toyota man. Shit never stops running if you even sort of take care of it. If you’re trying to stay with US built then most of their cars sold in US are made here. In 2017 their US sales were:
Built in America 56%
Built in Canada 25%
Built in Mexico 6%
Built outside N.A. 13% (Mostly Lexus Models)
Poking the UAW with a stick may not work the way Ford thinks it will.
Oh, wow! That’ll show those rascally workers! I’m sure the strikes will conclude uneventfully now!
/s
It’s not complicated. It’s just a really dumb move.
Ford said “It’s not a lock out”. Yeah… tell me the difference then. They just don’t want to acknowledge that they’re even playing the game - or maybe they don’t understand.
If they want to do layoffs in every department that is affected by the strikes they will shut down faster than the strikes could do it. They’re literally helping the union shut down the company, except they’ll make it more difficult for themselves to reopen once an agreement is done.
The UAW already announced that they’d do stand up strikes, which despite the new name is a good old strategy of moving the strikes to whatever area or department they want to shut down today.
With these two strategies up against each other, I think the outcome is already determined.
Ford can not win this by laying off people. It’s not like the union will suddenly back down just because Ford says: “lOOk aT wHaT yOU mADE me dO!!11” while it hurt itself in the confusion.
I think the UAW planned for these layoffs. What is Ford suppose to do with all the workforce standing around when the supply chain has been cut and halted on strategic sections. The whole assembly line is down, not just the striking workers. They were counting on Unemployment benefits from the government to stretch out the UAW fund to it’s maximum. This move puts Ford in a much tighter squeeze and will probably help leverage the negotiations on behalf of the UAW. Also, the public eye will frown upon the big 3 by laying off workers. On top of losing sales and market they will hurt their reputation which will be the costlier of them all. It seems that the UAW is prepping for the long haul. Let’s go workers!!!
I just hope that this gets resolved quickly and favorably because all of the industry (supply chain all the way to the bottom) will hurt because of this.
or maybe they don’t understand
They totally do, and the execs are panicking, but historically companies could just have people arrested for striking, or shoot them, so right now they don’t know what to do except try other scare tactics. They’ll try anything before cutting into their “record profits”
Not defending Ford here. But we need to be supporting union workers by choosing union made products and services. Those that are saying they won’t buy a Ford now, that’s your choice, but I hope you’re doing your research and at least considering other automobiles that are union instead. Here is a 2023 list of all the UAW built vehicles: https://uaw.org/solidarity_magazine/2023-uaw-union-built-vehicle-guide/amp/
Is it bad that I would rather buy a vehicle from the 90’s because it doesn’t have all this bs in it that 1. makes it harder to repair myself and 2. Just feels weird to drive (mainly talking the fly by wire style that modern cars are using, I want to feel the feedback on my gas pedal).
Yeah I wanted a Chevy bolt because that’s the union made electric compact. I won’t buy a struck vehicle but I’ll never buy a non union new vehicle if I can help it. Purchasing non union products is the same as purchasing products from companies retaliating against a union, the only difference is the retaliators haven’t won yet.
