Thread regarding Ford layoffs

That was my fear, that suppliers are better. Engineers at Ford are basically just an insurance requirement.

I was a Agency guy (mechanical) at ford for 10 years and moved to a supplier direct hire as a lead engineer. Now, if I compare myself with a colleague with 4 years experience, I feel I know way less than him. I wasted my 10 years of time for ford who can’t even make a car right. Also, if the Tundra or Ram beats our workhorse, then we will be the next Kmart.

@dga+1hU29uUM Because they are third/fourth string IT and would not make the team at most real IT companies. I worked 15 years @ real IT companies before taking a job at Ford (to be close to take care of elderly parents). There is a HUGE difference in skill levels. Even the golden children who prance around like king of IT are subpar. I was astonished at how poor of skillsets exist at Ford, yet they are blissfully unaware at how poor the skillsets are.

Then why in first place IT guys work here. If they feel that they are extremely resourceful and talented why can't they go to silicon valley and dictate higher pay.

@tfy+1hU29uUM

YES! great example

"However, as FMC is NOT a data/software company, but a vehicle manufacturing one, it needs patents to be in the lead. Those patents should be researched by those engineers that OP is talking about having no motivation to go beyond their salaries. After all, a patent could be worth a lot of money for something as "simple" as a redesigned truck tailgate. Why give it to a company that stabs you in the back?"

@orl+1hU29uUM While I agree with you, don't forget your case is different from most of the white collar employees at FMC. IT is needed everywhere, doesn't matter if the company is building cars or selling fruits. But that's not the case for the electrical and mechanical engineers, nor for most of Ford employees. Their skills cannot be easily transferred like yours, some of their responsibilities are greater than yours (when was the last time an IT guy emails were subpoenaed) and their innovations more valuable than yours.

Please don't get upset with the previous sentence, nor with I am going to say now, but in IT you are just using (software) tools. Even if you code or tweak an existing application, is based on your knowledge of a copyrighted programming language. I am not diminishing your contributions, but I doubt your work is worth a patent (or you'd be having your own company trying to sell that product instead of working at FMC)

However, as FMC is NOT a data/software company, but a vehicle manufacturing one, it needs patents to be in the lead. Those patents should be researched by those engineers that OP is talking about having no motivation to go beyond their salaries. After all, a patent could be worth a lot of money for something as "simple" as a redesigned truck tailgate. Why give it to a company that stabs you in the back?

So while I also have a work ethic, I totally understand and agree with OP's concerns.

@bjl+1hU29uUM Agreed. Add to that moving bench GSRs into areas where they have zero aptitude and fake training them. I worked in mainframe ITO years ago. The LL5 took on a dozen bench employees and set up a Mainframe University. The primary trainer having no relevant mainframe skills proceeded to pass on useless nonsense to the bench trainees. The Mainframe University was declared a smashing success and the LL5 claimed to have solved the grey-haired mainframe ITO issue. The graduates were dispersed among the LL6s and proceeded to add little to no value for the next 7+ years. With one exception who transferred out of the mainframe group. Of course one cannot admit failure now as smashing success was widely proclaimed.

The problem is ideological/political. F is part of a global order shaping a future that marginalizes the likes of the ones who once carried their water for them. Time to awaken.

But the whole problem is with the slackers who don’t to upskill or do any productive work.They are lucky to get in as salaried and we Agency guys lift the load.

I work at Ford and I love my job. It's in IT and I work with a supportive team like I've never had before in my career.

That said, I think people do need to remove so much emotion from the situation. Yes loyalty is important. Yes Ford's current leadership is not great.

But this is a job. I do a function for them in exchange for money. That's it. When I hired in, they did not change my last name to "Ford". I have no express assurance of any loyalty from them. I go in and I work hard not because I get a promise of loyalty and nice treatment from them (although these are nice to have, and right now I do have them). I go in and do a good job because they have paid me to do so.

If the value (compensation) they place on my work is no longer fair or adequate to me, I would leave. It's a business transaction for me as much as it is for them, and it only remains as long as it's mutually beneficial. I can leave at any time. They can ask me to leave at any time. But the reason I work hard is because that's what I agreed to do when I signed on. It's called work ethic, and I do it for myself because I'm honorable, not because I expect something more than the agreed pay rate in return. I've never been in a race with any other employee at Ford, at least not the way I see it.

People need a reality check. Am I anxious? Of course. I have a life, home, and family to care for. But there are jobs out there, and I'll find them for the same reason I found this one. I'm a hard worker and I have great skills. If Ford can no longer benefit from them, I'm sure I can offer them elsewhere in exchange for fair compensation.

Death by a thousand cuts.

Back in 2010 I was working on the Focus DPS6 and the engineers all knew it was going to be problematic. Management also knew but we signed off on it anyway. We essentially wrecked a product nameplate and lost customers forever. This was under Alan’s watch too. It is sad that because of this and Jim Hackett decision to stop building cars in North America that I have to buy a Honda, Toyota or Kia if I want a small car. We just launched the Puma in Europe but it is not designed for NA markets. WTF??? We also are spending (Ford Land) lots of money on upgrades to our engineering campus and the train station. I get tired of looking back on all these distractions and wonder why we just don’t get our greedy little hands dirty and just make vehicles that have value for the company and customer.

Loyalty to a company like Ford, just isn't there. I have no promise of pension, I have only constant threat looming overhead. Why be loyale to a company when they give zero sh*ts about you. Automotive Engineering in Michigan will disappear completely to South America, India, and China. The plants will stay around as long as they make sense. The Ford name will live on, one way or another, but their salary employees will be long gone.

Really, the best days was when we were going bankrupt in 2008 and Alan came in to save the ship. We all got behind him and did what was necessary. After he retired and Mark and later Joe got the ax we were left with the two Jim's and both are not any where near what Alan was to the company. We should be making the best cars and trucks on the planet.

Well said. Job security seems a thing of the past. It's just the rat race, then you die. Depressing AF.