KillingtonZone.com

Bubba wrote:

SnoBrdr wrote:

Bubba wrote:

Mister Moose wrote:

Bubba wrote:
I think Ford is reading the tea leaves, not waiting for actual legislative change. Overall, I have no problem with many jobs remaining in Mexico, preferably lower skilled jobs where labor costs figure heavily into the price of a product. In a highly automated plant, where the jobs are programming, maintenance and repairs, engineering, and design, those jobs should remain here. In addition, Mexico should be required to maintain a balance of trade with us. Buy our raw materials, parts, or even finished cars. Teaching China to build jet engines seems to me a good example of a trade mistake. Those are high precision jobs.

Bubba, union contracts can be changed. Unions will vote for it if they realize it is in their best interest. What unions need to learn, and some may have already learned, is that saving a percentage of higher than market jobs benefits no one in the long run. The company sheds production to a lower cost provider and those last high paying jobs dry up when the plant closes. We've seen it with AT&T, we've seen it with GM, we've seen it with PanAm. If the union can be competitive by forgoing a raise, taking less retirement, and if those changes are better than no jobs at all to the membership, the contract can be amended. Unions have now seen plants close while union leaders keep their jobs, and that can't be lost on them.

America in many cases can no longer earn a living with unskilled labor if it can be done overseas. To compete with Mexico and China our workers need something that Mexico and China doesn't have. Those things are proximity and education. There are jobs like plowing your driveway that can't be done in China or Mexico. If there is no proximity need, then we have to be smarter, more automated, more efficient, and need to adapt to changes in the marketplace.

Ford continues to move production to Mexico, this time moving Ford Focus production out of Michigan.

http://www.newsmax.com/Newsfront/ford-f ... r=xpebkiqd" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

According to the Ford CEO: "When you look at moving the Focus out of our Michigan assembly plant, that’s to make room for new products — zero jobs affected, zero jobs impacted.

Which was exactly the same situation as in Kentucky. The point is that lower margin vehicles are being moved while higher margin vehicle assembly remains in the US.