After 24 months of multiple salary layoffs and most recently, the first of what will be multiple union layoffs, I can honestly say that the majority of both union and salary folks at this plant simply don’t get it.
Generally speaking:
Management employees continue to fake numbers and creat elaborate smoke screens in an attempt to hide the reality of a ship that is hopelessly sinking. They worry about the most recent spread sheet data request from their manager and how to lie about this months metrics.....rather than how to fix the process so that they can can start reporting a true, positive reality next year.
The union labor force is the only thing that can actually save this site, but it is so caught up in a 1950’s mentality of obstinance and nearsightedness that it will never actually be able to energize its laborers. The unions argument is basically, “GE is loaded and nobody has better quality than Schenectady. Why should we work harder to allow the business to profit more”. Union folks need to ask them selves a few questions...,Are there more or less employees in Schenectady than there were 20 years ago? Does Schenectady's supposedly amazing quality and sky high cycle times seem to be keeping work at the plant? Where else can I work in this area that provides a higher ratio of compensation for my skill set? Nothing would be more humorous than watching many current GE union folks attempt to interview outside the company for a position with comparable compensation.......
Q:So you are a CNC machinist?
A:Yes.
Q:So you can program CNC equipment?
A:No.
Q:Can you modify programs for tooling offsets and regrinds confidently and without assistance?
A:No
Q:Take a look at this drawing. Can you point out a couple critical points that may be key critical inspection factors?
A:What? Hunh? No.....can i ask my steward?
Q: would you be interested in the custodian position that is currently open?
I made it 12 years in this place and am moving on to greener pastures next month. I sugest that all of you stop lying to your selves and get out on your own terms rather than be invighted to one of HR’s “special meetings” unexpectedly. The little work that is left will be phased out of Schenectady over the next few years. Get out before you get caught in the undertow of this massive sinking turd.