Chrysler halting production.

[bigred68]

 Hello everyone. Has anyone else seen on the news tonight that Chrysler is shutting down all production for at least a month? Does anyone here work for Chrysler? Please let us know whats going on. (Of course other than the obvious crappy economy, few people working, few people buying, EVERYONE concerned about their job security.)My thoughts are with any and everyone who is out of work (this time of year, heck ANY time of the year). I lost my job of 20 years about a month ago. Fortunatly I was just able to find work this week. Its a good job, pays alittle less but I'm NOT complaining. I'm one of the lucky ones.

[dodgecharger-fan]

I saw that on the news.

I have a lot of customers that supply the auto industry, including Chrysler. A shutdown like this is going to ripple through a lot of companies and hurt a lot of people.

I guess the alternative, though, is a permanent shut down and that'll be worse.

[472 R/T SE]

Sad day indeed.  I just got off the phone with my Mother.  She's been at a Chrysler dealership for a couple decades now and she didn't know anything about it.  She said the Group 1 big wigs were to be in town Friday so she doesn't know what's about to happen.

Real crappy time of year regardless.  I'm sorry for all those affected.  Unfortunately all the talk about it going to get a lot worse before it gets better seems true. 

[Shakey]

Normally, Bobcat makes 180 skid steers a day in North Dakota but they are going to shut down for six weeks.

Volvo makes road graders in Brasil and they too are shutting down for about four weeks.

We're shutting down for two weeks which is alright by me as I'll simply "work from home/ski hill" and still get paid!  Don't tell anyone else though as there are only three of us in the company that are allowed that option/luxury!   

[Todd Wilson]

http://www.autoblog.com/2008/12/17/chrysler-to-shut-down-plants-for-a-full-month/


Lots of other companies are doing it.


Todd

[CFMopar]

my uncle works for them... It's just the start. Its only gonna get worse to.

[69bronzeT5]

The sad thing is...right before Christmas too.

[Todd Wilson]

The sad thing is...right before Christmas too.

How is it sad?


Todd

[WingCharger]

WHY WHY WHY???
WHY CANT A NEW LEE I. COME ABOUT TO SAVE MA? WHY WHY WHY???

[nh_mopar_fan]

I'm hearing the floorplan is toast too.

Without that, dealers can't finance their cars.

That's the beginning of the end.

[69bronzeT5]

The sad thing is...right before Christmas too.

How is it sad?


Todd

Work=money. No work=no money. Hopefully they get some kind of money.

[RallyeMike]

Work=money. No work=no money

The link said the workers still get 95% pay while not working. Who negotiated these terms for the big 3, Bert and Ernie?   

From what I understand, they always shut down for two weeks this time of year. They extended to four weeks due to current circumstances.

Edit... I have a hard time believing Chrysler's statement that there "plenty of perspective buyers, but an astonishing 20-25% of customers are unable to obtain financing". Nobody is lining up to buy cars from a company that is about to become extinct. I've been to the dealership for warranty work on my lemon Ram 4 times since early Nov, and have not seen one customer outside the service department. Not even ONE customer in the showroom or out on the lot. It wouldn't surprise me if the next news is that the plant shut downs are extended ...

[hemi-hampton]

Sounds like a extended Christmas Vacation.

[Todd Wilson]

The sad thing is...right before Christmas too.

How is it sad?


Todd

Work=money. No work=no money. Hopefully they get some kind of money.

Read the article............  The workers get 1 month off with 95% of their pay.  No one is truely unemployed if they are UAW. You still get 95% of your wages while laid off. Another reason why the Big 3 are struggling. Ford announced they are doing it for 3 weeks. GM has said they will cut production on 250,000 units as well but they havent said if anyone will go home for a few weeks. They are doing it to regulate their inventory.


Todd

[Todd Wilson]

Work=money. No work=no money

The link said the workers still get 95% pay while not working. Who negotiated these terms for the big 3, Bert and Ernie?   

From what I understand, they always shut down for two weeks this time of year. They extended to four weeks due to current circumstances.

Edit... I have a hard time believing Chrysler's statement that there "plenty of perspective buyers, but an astonishing 20-25% of customers are unable to obtain financing". Nobody is lining up to buy cars from a company that is about to become extinct. I've been to the dealership for warranty work on my lemon Ram 4 times since early Nov, and have not seen one customer outside the service department. Not even ONE customer in the showroom or out on the lot. It wouldn't surprise me if the next news is that the plant shut downs are extended ...

Our local dealership had the best ever month of November in the history of the company and December was starting off very good. I dont thnk Chrysler and Ford are in bad shape. GM is in really bad trouble.


Todd

[JeffYoung]

I have a 07 Ram 2500 with a Cummins and it is a great tow vehicle. Not a single issue in nearly two years (bought Jan 07). 

I've been to the service department to get parts twice in the last 30 days and echo the post above. The dealership was DESERTED.  100%. Empty.  Bizarre. Felt like a ghost town. Never seen anything like it really.

I hope Chrysler stays around as a "niche" manufacturer -- the Charger/Challenger, the Ram and the Viper.  US companies just can't compete with Toyota/Honda/Nissan -- heck even Kia/Hyundai -- for the bread and butter 4 door sedan anymore.

But I will tell you waht, my 72 real U code 440 Charger Rallye 4 speed still makes me remember what American car companies could do with style and engineering back in the day.  Hell of a car.

[Rolling_Thunder]

I've been to the dealership for warranty work on my lemon Ram 4 times since early Nov, and have not seen one customer outside the service department. Not even ONE customer in the showroom or out on the lot. It wouldn't surprise me if the next news is that the plant shut downs are extended ...

Hmmmmm    My Toyota has 87,000 on it without any problems...      my older Toyota had 259,000 on it and never had a problem either....      I hate to say it  but I will never buy another domestic (Mexico) vehicle ---  Too many problems and poor engineering...   not one part of me is sad for the big three...    maybe if they made a better product they wouldnt have such big problems ?   

[Mike DC]

 
Cerberus just paid billions of dollars for Chrysler, and they won't even dump some cash (which they have plenty of) into Chrysler to save it. 


It's over. 

[runningman]

I work at the 3.7 plant in Detroit as an electrician.  When we are laid off we get unemployment benefits and sub pay which is suppose to equal 95% percent of pay but I never really checked it out.  I have only had two weeks off for layoff in the last 14 years and that was the forced vacation last summer.  When this stuff was negotiated there wasn't many people in the job bank or people getting laid off so it probably wasn't much of an issue. Although the labor costs seem high I really think it is a drop in the bucket compared to other costs.  We just got rid of over half of our salaried employees here last month as well.  I think most guys....like myself.....would rather be working than laid off burning through weeks of unemployment.

[FJMG]

Our local dealership had the best ever month of November in the history of the company and December was starting off very good. I dont thnk Chrysler and Ford are in bad shape. GM is in really bad trouble.


Todd

   Same holds true for the dealerships around here and they are projecting increase in sales!  Maybe some geographical pockets haven't been hit yet??

[Mike DC]

I see almost every car dealership in my area, domestic or otherwise, looking kind of deserted lately. 

[chargerjy9]

"Hmmmmm    My Toyota has 87,000 on it without any problems...      my older Toyota had 259,000 on it and never had a problem either....      I hate to say it  but I will never buy another domestic (Mexico) vehicle ---  Too many problems and poor engineering...   not one part of me is sad for the big three...    maybe if they made a better product they wouldnt have such big problems ? "  

that attitude is part of what is driving the domestic auto industry into a tailspin. that stuff is the same load of manure that those idiot senators from the south are trying to poison us with. that stuff might have been true 20 years ago, but today the facts just dont bear it. I can counter any story about your high mileage  Asian cars with many, many stories of folks with high mileage Mopars. I am tired of hearing this left coast bashing of an industry that is vital to the interest of our national economy and security. we had better pray that these companies survive or God help the USA.

[TK73]

I work at the 3.7 plant in Detroit as an electrician.  When we are laid off we get unemployment benefits and sub pay which is suppose to equal 95% percent of pay but I never really checked it out. 

Unemployment (UI) plus supplemental from the company??

So, if UI covers, say, about 75% then the Union contract covers the other 20% ??

[runningman]

I am not sure who pays the sub money.  I would say it is probably closer to like 60-40 or something......I will find out soon.

[TK73]

"Hmmmmm    My Toyota has 87,000 on it without any problems...      my older Toyota had 259,000 on it and never had a problem either....      I hate to say it  but I will never buy another domestic (Mexico) vehicle ---  Too many problems and poor engineering...   not one part of me is sad for the big three...    maybe if they made a better product they wouldnt have such big problems ? "  

that attitude is part of what is driving the domestic auto industry into a tailspin. that stuff is the same load of manure that those idiot senators from the south are trying to poison us with. that stuff might have been true 20 years ago, but today the facts just dont bear it. I can counter any story about your high mileage  Asian cars with many, many stories of folks with high mileage Mopars. I am tired of hearing this left coast bashing of an industry that is vital to the interest of our national economy and security. we had better pray that these companies survive or God help the USA.

Let's not "left coast" bash us on this issue, Detroit did it to themselves. Besides that, aren't those idiot senators Republicans?  

As pointed out American vehicle quality was nowhere near foreign quality for decades. Over the last few years they have mostly caught up but that reputation is going to stay for a while.

I bought AMERICAN, built in the Good 'ol USA:  '08 Mustang GT