GM investment at Orion Assembly could mean 600 new hires (Obama bailout at work)

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Mlive.com

Jackie Headapohl

General Motors confirmed yesterday that it will invest $145 million at the Orion Assembly Center, which it to be home to Chevrolet's new small car and Buick's future compact sedan – the all-new Verano.

The investment to retool the facility means 1,200 retained hourly and salaried jobs at the plant as well as 350 new jobs. The investment also retains 120 jobs at Pontiac Metal Center.

The Orion plant was due to be shuttered by GM until the UAW agreed to accept a two-tier wage system, in which 40 percent of the plant's personnel earn half of the $28 per hour that veteran workers get. In 2009, the union also agreed to give GM leeway in setting pay at small car plants in order for the plants to be profitable.

"To have a once-shuttered plant operating at full speed again shows what can happen when the public and private sectors partner to create new investment and jobs," Michigan Gov. Jennifer Granholm said in a statement. "The state of Michigan is proud to partner with General Motors as it continues its drive toward a cleaner and greener future."

Read more: http://www.mlive.com/michigan-job-search/index.ssf/2010/10/gm_investment_at_orion_assembly_could_me.html

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Over one million jobs saved in the USA by the auto maker bailouts BTW!

[Cal Carpenter]

1. Interesting spin

I prefer to see it from the perspective of the rank and file who are NOT happy about the UAW's representation in this situation.

How low can we go? When people with experience are begging for their jobs back at half their wages, we're supposed to see it as a victory?

I'm sorry, I just can't see it that way..

:(

[Omaha Steve]

2. I didn't see the post about the other side of the story in GD until after I posted this

I'm not happy with the UAW on the no vote 40% wage cuts on this.

I am happy the bailout did save so many jobs in bad times.

OS

[greiner3]

3. Several decades ago;

I too worked at a unionized plant. A few years before I began work there the union had agreed with management that new hires would receive a lover starting wage than those grandfathered in. However, that wage would, over the new hires' employment there would rise to that of the prevailing wage paid for similar ratings. I doubt that that is the case here. Jobs, jobs, jobs. I read somewhere that any newly created job has a ripple effect of creating about 5 other jobs in the public sector. These ripple jobs can be in the form of say gas station workers to make up increased volume of sales and more jobs in retail sales for the same reason. $14/hour for assembly work in a car plant is bad but a good union should be able to get these workers better compensation soon, if GM is able to make good profit from this plant. Baby steps people, baby steps.

[MrTriumph]

4. And how many trainloads of Chinese goods were off loaded today?

The US Congress is not clueless. It is complicit.