Strike??? Thoughts, insights, predictions.

[the 18th letter]

When all is said and done, more auto jobs will probably go to Mexico where labor costs are far less…

And where a job working with your hands is not looked down on. I work with a youth program and while they're just kids you'd be surprised how kids now looks down at plumbing construction and automotive jobs. Mind you these are kids born with a short end of a stick in their bed through no fault of their own.

 

[DuraYuk]

And where a job working with your hands is not looked down on. I work with a youth program and while they're just kids you'd be surprised how kids now looks down at plumbing construction and automotive jobs. Mind you these are kids born with a short end of a stick in their bed through no fault of their own.

I wouldn't say it's looked down upon. People just realize that physical work takes a toll on the mind and body. It's called back breaking work because it breaks your back. I did heavy line and I had to escape because it tears you up.

You can only do it for so much and so long and there isn't a net to catch you other than workers comp or disability and that's if you qualify and meager compared to an actual wage.

 

[Mean_Green]

No, it's looked down on. Ewww, why would I do that when I can be an investment banker or 'influencer?'

 

[Blackcar]

I can remember that you went to apply for jobs that had good benefits, pension and insurance. And you would change jobs to get this result.
Thats what is going on with jobs that don't have those options to retain employees.
The big three are in this situation at present and some of the demands are in their interest.

 

[Mean_Green]

There was a time when you hit the line at 18 and retired from it at 58 and never really even thought about changing jobs.

 

[Fless]

Thats the plant I worked at... and the union steward is about worthless. I imagine they have been replaced since then.

What makes it worse is that entire plant is falling down around their ears. But the union wants so much that GM "says" they cant afford to rebuild.

My oldest sister worked at the Wentzville plant, too, until she transferred to startup the new Saturn plant in Tennessee. She's been retired from there for quite a few years now.

 

[OR VietVet]

I started as a mechanic, before we were called technicians, years ago and it was back breaking work. While it can still be ha*rd on the body, the physical strain is not as much. Now much better design in lifts and creepers and over engine creepers and removal equipment and less all round "get dirty" work, with module replacements and not rebuilding components in the shop. At 70 years old, I still do so much of my own work but if requires major effort under the vehicle or pulling a transmission or engine, I don't do it. If I had a lift and the proper under carriage support tools, I would do more. I feel like, as long as I have the desire to do the work, I will. Do I think I could do it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks a year? Depends on if I specialized in a certain area on the vehicle.

When I got out of the service, the local Ford Plant in Claycomo, Mo., north of the river in KC, Mo., offered me and other vets jobs but I turned it down. Did not want to do the same repetitive work day after day. My youngest brother has worked there now for close to 30+ years. He will retire from there within the next 5 years. Give me shop work any day, where every vehicle is a different challenge, instead of that repetition.

 

[the 18th letter]

I wouldn't say it's looked down upon. People just realize that physical work takes a toll on the mind and body. It's called back breaking work because it breaks your back. I did heavy line and I had to escape because it tears you up.

You can only do it for so much and so long and there isn't a net to catch you other than workers comp or disability and that's if you qualify and meager compared to an actual wage.

Its def looked down on. While physical labor is hard work a trade in plumbing or auto maintenance can be a barrier from the financial constraints a lot of these kids are used to.

 

[DuraYuk]

I started as a mechanic, before we were called technicians, years ago and it was back breaking work. While it can still be ha*rd on the body, the physical strain is not as much. Now much better design in lifts and creepers and over engine creepers and removal equipment and less all round "get dirty" work, with module replacements and not rebuilding components in the shop. At 70 years old, I still do so much of my own work but if requires major effort under the vehicle or pulling a transmission or engine, I don't do it. If I had a lift and the proper under carriage support tools, I would do more. I feel like, as long as I have the desire to do the work, I will. Do I think I could do it for 8 hours a day, 5 days a week for 52 weeks a year? Depends on if I specialized in a certain area on the vehicle.

When I got out of the service, the local Ford Plant in Claycomo, Mo., north of the river in KC, Mo., offered me and other vets jobs but I turned it down. Did not want to do the same repetitive work day after day. My youngest brother has worked there now for close to 30+ years. He will retire from there within the next 5 years. Give me shop work any day, where every vehicle is a different challenge, instead of that repetition.

I'm not ancient and was working for gm as a tech specifically heavy line and transmission past the 2000s and we did not have body creepers or anything to help short of a transmission jack.

I'm in better than average Shape and it still would wear me out. It's back breaking work.

Domestics still rebuild engines transmissions differentials . You just don't rebuild the small stuff like alternators and such.

The pay is not commiserate with what you do. That's why it's funny how factory guys are on strike.

It's only looked down on in the sense that you possess so many skills but don't have any job security or guaranteed hours.

Same with the rest of the trades. No security and crappy pay relative to what you do.

Only way to make a living is to start your own company then take advantage of others labor while you manage it.

 

[DuraYuk]

Its def looked down on. While physical labor is hard work a trade in plumbing or auto maintenance can be a barrier from the financial constraints a lot of these kids are used to.

Electrician is the way. The rest doesn't pay for the amount of physical work you do.

 

[OR VietVet]

Auto tech wages are starting to come in line with their value. I have seen non ASE techs be smarter and work harder than ASE Master Techs. I got my ASE Master Tech certifications to make more money. It did not change my work ethic. The career is looked down on because tech's get dirty and cater to the needs of all walks of life but the "look down the noses" comes from the white collar workers. I know when I was a tech, I made more than a lot of freshly graduated lawyers that were searching for their first jobs.

I am smart enough that I could have done the white collar work scenario but I liked diagnosing what others couldn't and liked fixing what other's couldn't. Now days, middle school kids can do what the white collar workers do and still depend on people like me to fix their vehicles. I feel pretty good about being retired and still get $80 an hour for my work at home. I also don't have to work on everything that comes to me. I turn down what I want to and work on what I want to.

I personally am not a fan of unions. My dad was a Teamster and we almost lost our home when I was a kid. Unions typically are ran by politician like people and IMO are crooks. They line their pockets and collect dues and party hardy on those dollars.

 

[Onlyone]

Well as I see it, as expensive as these vehicles have become, let them have their 40%. 100k for a Denali is 40% too much. It will average out.

 

[gooffeyguy]

I'm sure it's the union that's requesting those demands.

Union workers get pay raise, then pays more union dues. Union makes more money

 

[the 18th letter]

Electrician is the way. The rest doesn't pay for the amount of physical work you do.

It pays way better than the state pen or depending on the government for handout which are all too familiar scenarios with these kids.

 

[Mean_Green]

Whole lotta families gotta sell the farm (or contract out the acres) because the kids don't want to work that hard.

 

[DuraYuk]

It pays way better than the state pen or depending on the government for handout which are all too familiar scenarios with these kids.

Lol gold luck selling a job to a kid like that. Maybe that's the problem...'hey man this job is better than prison'

Many are disenfranchised because there's no safe bet anymore. Menial jobs used to provide people with everything. Now even six figures isn't really enough. Def can't be a grocer and make it. Trades ruin your body. Education is expensive. They don't want to work because they don't see the payoff.

Stay at home parent? Good luck with that.

Average high school graduate reads at a low middle school level. And billionaires tell then not to go to school so they become a wage slave.

Millennial and younger inherited a really crappy problem thanks to previous generations.

 

[DuraYuk]

Auto tech wages are starting to come in line with their value. I have seen non ASE techs be smarter and work harder than ASE Master Techs. I got my ASE Master Tech certifications to make more money. It did not change my work ethic. The career is looked down on because tech's get dirty and cater to the needs of all walks of life but the "look down the noses" comes from the white collar workers. I know when I was a tech, I made more than a lot of freshly graduated lawyers that were searching for their first jobs.

I am smart enough that I could have done the white collar work scenario but I liked diagnosing what others couldn't and liked fixing what other's couldn't. Now days, middle school kids can do what the white collar workers do and still depend on people like me to fix their vehicles. I feel pretty good about being retired and still get $80 an hour for my work at home. I also don't have to work on everything that comes to me. I turn down what I want to and work on what I want to.

I personally am not a fan of unions. My dad was a Teamster and we almost lost our home when I was a kid. Unions typically are ran by politician like people and IMO are crooks. They line their pockets and collect dues and party hardy on those dollars.

I was a gm master tech with all my ase and got paid 36 an hour flat rate. Turned 55 hours a week on average working my ass off during my scheduled 40 hours. I sure wasn't making what lawyers make and was killing myself doing it.

Domestic techs get paid the most and I was making more than average at the time with my friends in the 25 to 30 range.

It's a racket.

 

[the 18th letter]

Lol gold luck selling a job to a kid like that. Maybe that's the problem...'hey man this job is better than prison'

Many are disenfranchised because there's no safe bet anymore. Menial jobs used to provide people with everything. Now even six figures isn't really enough. Def can't be a grocer and make it. Trades ruin your body. Education is expensive. They don't want to work because they don't see the payoff.

Stay at home parent? Good luck with that.

Average high school graduate reads at a low middle school level. And billionaires tell then not to go to school so they become a wage slave.

Millennial and younger inherited a really crappy problem thanks to previous generations.

Def not how I try to educate the kids. I was putting it in perspective of where these kids come from for the hard work is too hard crowd. it's easy to make choices when you have more options.

 

[DuraYuk]

Def not how I try to educate the kids. I was putting it in perspective of where these kids come from for the hard work is too hard crowd. it's easy to make choices when you have more options.

Problem is hard work doesn't always pay off. I know plenty of people who work way harder than I do but have less. Luck has just as much to do with it.

 

[OR VietVet]

I was a gm master tech with all my ase and got paid 36 an hour flat rate. Turned 55 hours a week on average working my ass off during my scheduled 40 hours. I sure wasn't making what lawyers make and was killing myself doing it.

Domestic techs get paid the most and I was making more than average at the time with my friends in the 25 to 30 range.

It's a racket.

That's why I said freshly graduated first year lawyers. They got to pay there dues too.