Article source for : Chrysler delays Toledo expansion
“Chrysler delays Toledo Expansion” July 13th http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20100713/BUSINESS02/7130322 comes to the dismay of the Toledo Jeep workforce. Long has the Toledo Jeep worker felt the slight of the international UAW and Jeep’s former owners. The home of the Toledo Jeep has had a checkered history that has proven hard work by the workforce is not the only factor in landing new products. Back in 1991 our Grand Cherokee long built in Toledo was spirited away to the new Jefferson North Plant in Detroit. When production began for the new Grand Cherokee in 1993 in the new modern plant, Chrysler president Lee Iacocca complained about the literacy of the workforce. Work stations had picture graphs added to instruct workers on how to operate equipment. The last two years Chrysler spent 1.2 Billion much of it from Michigan aid on Jefferson North plant. It seems politics were the deciding factor in moving the Grand Cherokee to Detroit.
2008 The Harbor Report awarded The Toledo Ohio Jeep plant as the most productive plant in North America. The local UAW has long been known as “management friendly” in breaking new ground in labor agreements. We’ve been told all along that the path we’re on (job cuts, speedups of production) would be rewarded in the end. So now we are told that Sterling Height, long scheduled to close this year, and Belvedere are in the running to take work from the most productive plant in North America where the Jeep is deep in cultural history. The workers of Toledo Jeep are feeling that hard work, as we have been told, will not be the deciding factor. As reported in the article these talks have been in the works for over a year and now we have desperate autoworkers from other areas being whipsawed to take our hard earned future work. It seems politics will rule the day and decide the fate of this dedicated work force.