Why GM is struggling?

dieselson

Active member
Oct 14, 2006
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I think GM is struggling because they pay their workers so much. It seems like it wouldnt hurt to cut all of the worker's salaries. Also the workers get a tremendous amount of benefits. It's the unions that wont renegotiate that is hurting GM, sure the overpaid workers arent the only thing, but it has to be pretty big.
 
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TheBac

Why do I keep doing this?
Staff member
Apr 19, 2008
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GM made a huge mistake in killing Olds. Buick should have gone first. A Buick buyer would still buy an Olds, but an Olds buyer would kill himself before buying a Buick.

Cut legacy costs at GM, cut duplicate management, cut management pay/benefits, and then reopen negotiations with the union to further employee pay/benefit reductions. If they expect to survive, then everyone in the company has to give up something.
 

WolfLMM

Making Chips
Nov 21, 2006
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I don't think the split is really costing them much. It's probably making them some money. Pontiac caters to agressive styled sporty lookin cars. Saturn caters to the greenies. Chevrolet caters to the fleet and classic design and Cadillac to the upscale, stylish (sometimes) with creature comforts.

Chevrolet trucks are usually more likely to be fleet/work vehicles than GMC's. GMC is 'professional grade' with some additional towing gadgets and creature comforts.

Sure they could merge them and call all the pontiacs chevrolets, but they still have to build that style to get that market. It's pretty smooth now that so many cars from GM are actually the same car across brands. The only things that are differently usually are the bumpers and the branding and maybe the front fenders....


Chevy and GMC are the same in every aspect, except front body peices. The creature comforts come on chevy's as well, you just dont have to pay 2,000 more to get them.

Chevy's are the best looking trucks on the road. The people have spoken Chevy wins 3 to 1:D:D
 

Rhall

Old Skooler
Aug 12, 2006
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Cut legacy costs at GM, cut duplicate management, cut management pay/benefits, and then reopen negotiations with the union to further employee pay/benefit reductions. If they expect to survive, then everyone in the company has to give up something.


The last sentence is true, start at the top, then work their way down to the lowest paid.

I really dont get where everyone thinks their wages are out of hand though, their actually lower than Toyotas, its the retirement they have to pay, and the health benefits. Its hard to compete with other countrys cause their health plans are so different than ours, and they dont have a fraction of the retirement gm has to pay.
 

jraymer

<--Tree Hugger
Oct 31, 2008
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Pretty soon we may be buying new "yakazooma" Silverados or "kamazappa" Impalas if bought out but some Asian buyer. Not that I want that to happen. And Buick should be dead right along with Olds, although Buick does have pretty sweet commercials haha. :rofl:
 

LBZ

Super Moderator
Staff member
Jul 2, 2007
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C'mon. Buick Rendevooo ?? What a lame car.

Drop the lame stuff according to sales and streamline a little. It's almost all the same stuff anyway inside a different body.


Being Ford is doing the best, could you imagine a world filled with nothing but Fords??:eek:
 

ColbyColorado04

Eye in the Sky!!!
Sep 14, 2008
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Central Indiana
Ford is the most healthy of the Big3...they even declined to take the gov. loans.
Things are far from perfect for them....but they'll be the last to go if the unthinkable happens.


How many factories has ford closed over the past 5 yrs? How many JOBS has ford sent out of this country the last 5 yrs? How many more Factories is FORD closing and sending outta this county in next couple?
 

SFC Cobb

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Oct 22, 2008
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According to Medium duty truck magazine GM had a 22% increase in class 2 and 3 pickup truck sales and Dodge and Ford had decreases close to that number or more for 2008.

GM trucks outsell the others.