Lear To Lay Off 300

The people at this plant in the Detroit area took $9.00 in concessions to "remain competitive and keep the plant open". Well evidently things aren’t working out like they had planned. This I the main reason I have been strongly opposed to any kind of concessions, especially when those concessions do not come with some kind of financial assurance. The company made out like thieves in the night at the expense of the little guys. In two years, using the following variables 300 employees 2080 hours per year for 2 years at $9 per hours, the company “stole”$11,232,000 from these workers.

Lear Carlisle Employee wrote:

The people at this plant in the Detroit area took $9.00 in concessions to "remain competitive and keep the plant open". Well evidently things aren’t working out like they had planned. This I the main reason I have been strongly opposed to any kind of concessions, especially when those concessions do not come with some kind of financial assurance. The company made out like thieves in the night at the expense of the little guys. In two years, using the following variables 300 employees 2080 hours per year for 2 years at $9 per hours, the company “stole”$11,232,000 from these workers.

Excellent point! My own reasons for voting NO are the same as yours. Here's proof.....take a pay cut, and they shut you down anyway.

If anyone has any questions about what to do, consider the Elsie plant, and now this Detroit plant. They gave back to "save" their jobs, and look what happened.

Don't be naive enough to think that it won't happen to any of us.

I cannot find another job, I will vote yes to get more work in Sidney, Look at the extra work we may get if they union plays fair with this offer:

less pay
less vacation
more for Ins.
less holidays

And anything more they would like.

UAW #2391 screams "We are Union"
sing it sister sharon

Chicken Little wrote:

I cannot find another job, I will vote yes to get more work in Sidney, Look at the extra work we may get if they union plays fair with this offer:
less pay
less vacation
more for Ins.
less holidays
And anything more they would like.
UAW #2391 screams "We are Union"
sing it sister sharon

So what are you trying say, "You got lucky when Lear hired you" and maybe you pulled the wool over their eyes? That maybe before you were a union member instead of screaming "We Are Union" your most practiced saying was "Would you like fries with that shake" or "Welcome to Wal-Mart"? Get a life and while you are looking for it, see if you can find a backbone too! There is and will be life after Lear!

Remember at the end of the movie even chicken little got some BACKBONE.I read this article recently that eloded to fact that if big business continues to do business the way they are there will not be enough people that making a decent living wage to be able to afford the products they are trying to sell. HELLO ,I hate to say it but I truly believe this country is in the beginning stage of this exact situation.How long has the big threes' sales been lagging?It may be that it has absolutely nothing to do with the price of the cars at 20,000.00 but that there is not enough middle class left to afford them.something to think about.CHICKEN LITTLE WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING NOW AND WHAT WILL YOU BE DRIVING AFTER YOUR WAGE CUT.I don't know about you guys but they are cutting that car payment right out of most peoples wages.huh

In the know wrote:

Remember at the end of the movie even chicken little got some BACKBONE.I read this article recently that eloded to fact that if big business continues to do business the way they are there will not be enough people that making a decent living wage to be able to afford the products they are trying to sell. HELLO ,I hate to say it but I truly believe this country is in the beginning stage of this exact situation.How long has the big threes' sales been lagging?It may be that it has absolutely nothing to do with the price of the cars at 20,000.00 but that there is not enough middle class left to afford them.something to think about.CHICKEN LITTLE WHAT ARE YOU DRIVING NOW AND WHAT WILL YOU BE DRIVING AFTER YOUR WAGE CUT.I don't know about you guys but they are cutting that car payment right out of most peoples wages.huh

I think your right about having backbone. But this actually started back with PRESIDENT REGAN he made the Union look foolish. Then it was further shot down buy all the electronics being either sold or being made over seas. The buck stops here. If we don't stand up for ourselves who will? By the way if you have any Lear stock in your 401k I would sell now and get the market value instead of waiting for the $36 a share you will get at the day of the sell.

Chicken Little wrote:

I cannot find another job, I will vote yes to get more work in Sidney, Look at the extra work we may get if they union plays fair with this offer:
less pay
less vacation
more for Ins.
less holidays
And anything more they would like.
UAW #2391 screams "We are Union"
sing it sister sharon

just like your name your a chicken and dont have feet to stand on that why you shouldnt even have a union card in your hands .. you better face the facts.. and stand to fight for your last breath because you might not have enother one

Not only did the union employees make concessions, the salary personnel got ripped off too. What raises were seen, did not keep up with health care increases (mine doubled 2 years in a row). The employees of Detroit tried to make a go of it, but when you have upper management buying every new Nextel phone that comes out, buying personal supplies, and doing their homework when they should be working - plants shut down. It's a shame, average seniority in this plant is 25 years. The little guys gave it their best shot - too bad upper management wasn't even in the ballpark for the game.

Hey Lear Detroit,

Just wanted to say I feel for you guys.

Lear Detroit employee wrote:

Not only did the union employees make concessions, the salary personnel got ripped off too. What raises were seen, did not keep up with health care increases (mine doubled 2 years in a row). The employees of Detroit tried to make a go of it, but when you have upper management buying every new Nextel phone that comes out, buying personal supplies, and doing their homework when they should be working - plants shut down. It's a shame, average seniority in this plant is 25 years. The little guys gave it their best shot - too bad upper management wasn't even in the ballpark for the game.

So did salary get a raise or not. I heard they was getting a 30% raise after the take over was done.

I'm a Lear Detroit employee, soon to be ex-employee. Just wanted to let other Detroit Lear workers know that a worker at another plant stated in one of the forums here that Lear employees qualify for extended unemployment (up to 2 years) and free training under TAA (Trade Adjustment Assistance). From what I read here (http://www.michigan.gov/mdcd/0,1607,7-122-167... ), a group of workers (more likely the union) has to apply to the Department of Labor in Washington to be accepted. If we are, benefits include training, health insurance credit (http://www.irs.gov/individuals/article/0,,id=... ), etc. I hope the union is working on this (the claim would have to be that we lost our jobs due to foreign trade) and that we'll be informed about all the benefits to which we're entitled. Still waiting to see what the severance package is going to look like also.

To answer "meme" -
Lear Detroit salary will only get severance packages and we still are waiting on word of that. As far as a 30% increase, I have heard nothing.

To "Lear20Plus" -
I'm sure the union reps will have something soon.

either your union or your not!there is no middle ground!if you want to sell your soul for your job then so be it.i'd rather tell them to kiss my as* and sleep well at night!

Lear tells the Detroit plant in early March that it will be closed. As of this date, rank-n-file union & salary have heard nothing more. Upper management knows more than they are letting on, they have conference calls weekly if not every other day but they are saying nothing. Gauges for some parts just went to Mexico today. Word is Mexico can only meet 30% of production that this plant does in a day. Mangers and certain salaried staff are having a grand time in the Lear seats watching the Tigers play while the other "working stiffs" sit around wondering what is going on. Certain salaried personnel are hardly seen anymore, are always "out of plant". Salaried had pool & bowling outings in the past month...paid with company funds. It's a shame...

Pack It Up wrote:

<quoted text>So what are you trying say, "You got lucky when Lear hired you" and maybe you pulled the wool over their eyes? That maybe before you were a union member instead of screaming "We Are Union" your most practiced saying was "Would you like fries with that shake" or "Welcome to Wal-Mart"? Get a life and while you are looking for it, see if you can find a backbone too! There is and will be life after Lear!

I agree with pack it up! I work at Lear Louisville Plant, and we're going through contract negotiations as we speak. I would rather keep voteing NO to our contract , they're trying to do the same to us!!!! I'll close them down before I vote yes!!!!

I think people need a real reality check..... education is being pushed down people throats at their expense while laws dictate how bussinesses are ran and where they can go as big money is throwed at their feet by other goverments so the business's can find cheap labor at the same time not take responsibity for the heath and welfare of the work forces that are involved. Civil War is on the verge sooner or later. People are almost ready to die fighting rather than sitting in a corner waiting to starve to death.

Just wanted to let you all know the same thing is going on here in Louisville, Workers are loosing their jobs and dropping like flies. Its not fair that they can not work to get other conracts but hey as long as they still have there jobs. Families like us don't matter it seems. My husband tries to look positive its been since July. Still no job.

Has anyone heard the future for any of the Lear workers in Lousiville? Lear use to be a great place to work, why they hell they letting it fall apart.

(QUOTE) who="Lear Louisville"]Has anyone heard the future for any of the Lear workers in Lousiville? Lear use to be a great place to work, why they hell they letting it fall apart.(/QUOTE\) Have'nt heard anything however I do agee it used to be a great place to work for me to,then along came Wibur.There is no sense of pride in the product they produce anymore,ship shit.Bottom line is the almighty dollar.I don't think Ross realizes that the dollar has no value anymore.I don't believe that one can put a price on destroying a family,community and breaking people's spirits.WELL WILBUR,THE LITTLE TOWN OF CARLISLE,PA AND ITS PEOPLE WON'T BE DESTROYED BY THE LIKES OF YOU,WE WILL BE STRONGER AND BETTER THAN EVER.

CEO gets boost in pay
By JEWEL GOPWANI
Detroit Free Press

Lear Corp. Chairman and CEO Bob Rossiter was paid $6.1 million in 2007, 31 percent higher than in the previous year.

The boost in pay for Rossiter and most of the company's top officers comes in a year that Lear made $241.5 million - nearly a $1-billion improvement from a $707.5-million loss in 2006, as the company reaped the benefits of unloading most of its money-losing interiors business.



Lear makes electrical systems at its facility on Linden Avenue in Zanesville.

The pay increase mainly comes from rising bonuses triggered by the company exceeding cash flow and operating-income goals, the Southfield automotive seat maker said in a filing Monday with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Rossiter's bonus rose from $825,000 in 2006 to $2.3 million last year. Rossiter's overall compensation does not include stock options and changes in the value of his pension, although some other media outlets include them.

His $6.1 million comprises his salary, bonus, restricted stock awards and other compensation, such as use of Lear's corporate jet.

Lear Vice Chairman James Vandenberghe's compensation rose nearly 35 percent to $3.9 million. Vandenberghe's bonus nearly tripled, to $1.3 million, compared with $462,500 in 2006, which combined a performance and discretionary bonuses. Vandenberghe plans to retire in May.

The board awarded only one discretionary bonus in 2007, which went to its new chief financial officer, Matthew Simoncini. It used them widely in 2006, but in 2007, Lear tied more of its incentives to the company's performance.

Companies are increasingly linking bonuses to financial goals to appease shareholders, said Dan Moynihan, principal at Compensation Resources Inc. in New Jersey.

"You're going to see a bigger pressure on performance-based pay, which ultimately should lower compensation," Moynihan said, in light of the falling fortunes of many auto suppliers.

Lear's filing also showed that billionaire investor, Carl Icahn, who tried to buy Lear last year, owns 12.3 million shares or nearly 16 percent of Lear's stock, and is the company's largest shareholder.