Designer layoffs set at Chrysler

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Detroit Free Press

By TIM HIGGINS

Chrysler LLC plans to lay off 119 salaried UAW design workers today at the technology center in Auburn Hills and at the Plymouth Road Office Complex in Detroit.

This is part of the group that was expected to be laid off around Christmas but saw a reprieve.

UAW Local 412, Unit 80 warned members Wednesday that layoffs would go into effect Monday.

"The UAW fought and fought to get this unjust layoff stopped! We will continue to fight the fight and get our impacted people back as soon as possible," Michael Norscia, unit chairman, said in an e-mail obtained by the Free Press.


Read more: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080131/BUSINESS01/801310347/1014

[shaniqua6392]

1. I come from a long line of Detroit auto workers

and I feel so badly for all of them. I hope the UAW can do something for the designers.

[rocktivity]

2. You shouldn't judge a book by its cover

so I suppose you also shouldn't judge a newspaper by the fact that it calls itself the "Freep!"

:rofl:
rocknation

[llmart]

7. Actually.....

"Freep" is shorthand for The Detroit Free Press and it's more liberal than the other paper, The Detroit News.

Just an FYI. They're both pretty crummy newspapers if you ask me:)

[rocktivity]

8. I had no doubt that "Freep" the paper was around long before "freep" the person.

But only a Detroit native would know for sure.

And that's what was so cool about DU--we represent so many walks of life that any of us can be an expert! I remember a thread about a police car chase in San Diego. Local DU-ers immediately pointed out that the officer had exceeded his jurisdiction and should have called for backup because they were familiar with the highway system!

:headbang:
rocknation

[hatrack]

3. That will surely help with their engineering plans & innovative new products!

I'm sure Bob Nardelli knows exactly how to successfully compete with Toyota and Nissan and design a bold new product line with fewer engineers, right?

Right?

[Tandalayo_Scheisskopf]

4. Nardelli is so frigging predictable.

He comes in, fires all the people that know shit, destroys the corporate culture, runs down stock prices and splits with truckloads of cash.

He's really nothing but a corporate tapeworm.

[fujiyama]

5. Chrysler's corporate culture was gutted by Daimler when it was bought

It was probably one the reasons Chrysler started going down.

It's really quite a disaster. The designers will have to find jobs as contract designers, which may pay alright but the benefits won't be that great....possibly even out of pocket health insurance.

[Tesha]

6. Chrysler was well on its way down when they were bought by Daimler.

Chrysler's reputation for quality is just about at the
bottom of the automotive heap. And if they're not on the
absolute bottom, that's only because we haven't yet seen
whether Tatas are any good.

Mr. Tesha and I have owned the last Chrysler product we'll
buy in our lives.

Tesha

[JPZenger]

9. Consumer Reports Has Been Bashing Chrysler Products

Consumer Reports have been recognizing Ford and GM for many improvements in engineering and quality. However, they have seriously bashing Chrysler vehicles on a regular basis for the last year. For example, they in effect said that one vehicle appeared to be put into the marketplace before its engineering was complete. They have been bashing Chrysler for both quality and mediocre engineering.

[fujiyama]

12. That wouldn't surprise me

I think they have some cars with nice styling but I've heard they are VERY unreliable. I know my parents had a Chrysler minivan from '96 that had the slide door practically fall off because of rust after just 5 years. It faced other frequent mechanical issues. It was absolute garbage and that's supposed to be a strong vehicle segment for them.

[Tesha]

14. That '96 minivan is the very vehicle upon which our opinion is based.

And yes, our side doors and the rear hatch are rusting
off our vehicle as well. That makes this the only car
we've ever had that experienced any serious body rust
since the '80s.

Tesha

[DS1]

10. Chrysler has designers?

Will the wonders ever cease?

[kwassa]

11. My late uncle was a designer for Chrysler

of course, he was laid off at least 25 years ago in one of the many "lets completely change Chrysler" moves which happens at least once a decade. Remember the bailout, and Lee Ioccoca?

Chrysler has been through so many upheavals, I knew Mercedes was really stupid to buy that company.

[musiclawyer]

13. Many here predicted the end when Nardelli came on-board

It's over. Chrysler will either be bought and absorbed by an asian company or complete outsourced to asia, probably china. I think Chryler will live on as the name for most chinese made cars sold in the USA within a few years.