Laid off Ford workers get 90% of pay for doing nothing?

[goddess40]

Last night on Gwen Iffle's PBS show she had on a professor from Berkley and a representative of the auto business. The professor was on the side of the workers and the auto guy on the side of Ford. The Ford guy said the laid off workers will get 90% of their take home pay for "doing nothing." Of course, this came at the end of the show so the professor got no change to reply. He did have a very surprised looked on his face though. If there are any laid off Ford workers out there (and what a rotten deal for you) is there any truth you will get 90% of your current take home pay? If so, for how long? And would this be what other laid off workers get--unemployment pay?

[bluestateguy]

1. There are worse places to be laid off from than the auto industry

Most other layoffs you are basically given your pink slip, asked to clean out your desk or locker and then escorted off of the premises (sometimes with security).

These workers are at least being given a lot of advance notice and other severance benefits. What's sad is that good jobs like these are disappearing.

[Yollam]

2. He mentioned something about a "jobs bank" then show was over...

I've never heard of it. either. But it didn't surprise me that the management side wanted to get rid of it...

[Bozita]

3. Only UAW workers get "sub" pay

The white collar types will be leaving with a handshake, if that.

[papau]

4. A pay cut was taken long ago with part of the money saved going to 90%

short term transition benefits.

Our workers are paid much less than German auto workers.

But German (and French, etc.) auto workers have National health and a state unemployment system much more generous than ours.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

5. Think about it, some of these people have been at the same job

for 10, 15, 20 years and know nothing else.... and that pay cannot be for very long... just to tide them over I am sure... if there is such a thing in America anymore.

[AllegroRondo]

6. Actually its paid until the end of next year

UAW got their workers a very good contract. They get paid up until the contract ends in Nov of 2007.

[HysteryDiagnosis]

8. Wow..... not that way here trust me.... good for them. nt.

[ChairmanAgnostic]

7. until their contract is up in 2007.

Wanna bet that provision is gone, as is health care for autoworkers?

[earth mom]

9. Unbelievable! Just more rethug B.S!

They are making it look like the workers are greedy pigs! Meanwhile, people devoted their lives to a job they thought they'd have until retirement! Are they getting a severance package, any kind of retirement?! Some may, but I'd bet many are NOT! :grr:

[Heewack]

10. There are several Ford plants that produce no vehicles.

Yet the workers are still paid. They come to work, clock in and play cards all day. One guy on the radio this morning said he's been doing that for nearly two years. Said he was kind of old fashioned and believed he should be doing some work for his pay.

[Maru Kitteh]

11. I am suspicious

Very suspicious.

[Bridget Burke]

13. Which Ford plants?

Which radio show?

[Bozita]

14. Where are those plants?

That doesn't sound like anything in a UAW contract.

[Hong Kong Cavalier]

15. Riiiiiight.

Wanna buy a bridge? No, seriously. I own this bridge.
Here's the deed.
See? I own this bridge.
And I'll sell it you.
Cheap. It's been fully maintained.
And it's got all its rivets.

[earth mom]

16. That sounds like reich wing propaganda to me...

they sure are jealous of those good union jobs aren't they? :eyes:

[oneoftheboys]

17. No wonder Ford lost $1.4 Billion last year.

[nini]

12. delete

.

[wishlist]

18. ABC Article states that they will get severance pay about a year

"The good news for Ford workers is that special union provisions from the United Auto Workers give them some protection. This stipulation — known as a "job bank" — says that union members idled by situations like this layoff are entitled to collect nearly full pay and benefits even if they have no work to do because their plants are closed. That stipulation remains in effect until the current contract expires in 2007.

However, if the employee takes an early retirement or other buyout, that stipulation no longer applies. So Ford is now offering a variety of inducements to hourly workers to leave early. The company's set aside $250 million to pay for buyouts. And it's even offering to pay $15,000 a year in college aid, along with health benefits, if the worker retires early. But, jobs at Big Three car makers are high paying, and no one wants to lose them.



http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/MellodyHobson/story?id=1534938

[underpants]

19. This creates a "sunk cost"

Ford has a sunk cost with these employees, they are already locked into paying them so the incentive is to go ahead and utilitize them. Also, for the workers this guarantees them a revenue/income stream for at least that period of time.

The geniuses in management of Ford did read this agreement, right? They did sign it, right? They did have those ever so capable corporate lawyers review it, right?

[zbdent]

20. Wonder what the "retiring" CEO will get as severence pay