Town of Tonawanda: Buyouts, layoffs loom at Dunlop plant

I wonder how many people realize that dunlop was hiring people as late as Aug 25 2008. I wonder if this was padding the labor force for over-paid lazy high timers. Everybody that works there knows the union is in bed with management.During the plant managers meeting he told everybody it was bad as early as March 2008. Angry, you bet

no one thought it would last this long, the lack of people buying tires. Tim said they thought we could ride the storm without layoffs. What I don't get is what do you mean "padding the labor force for over-paid lazy high timers"? What you don't get is that if tires do not sell, we can't keep the same amount of workers to make less tires. Now you're angry. It's because of the economy, not Goodyear!

Your opening statement says it all. What I mean is why would a company hire people if they knew as early as march that it wasn't looking good. Did hiring of new people help protect the older workers by increasing the number of employees? The economy didn't show first indicators from only October on. Yes you are right, I was very angry when I wrote the first posting, but life will go on.

Because at $13/hr with benny's next to nothing, which isn't much of a cost, I think they thought by the time the new hires were trained and the summer vacations were over that the economy would pick back up. What bothers me is they keep hiring foreman when we are getting rid of a shift. Where are the current foreman going? What about this continuous improvement B.S? They are paying these guys more than $25/hr to figure out how to seperate scrap and paint lines on the floor! We have been telling them for years what to do and they never listened. I was on a week-long C.I activity last August. I told them they were wasting money and time and that the work we did were never going to be implamented. It was actually a very good plan in my opinion and I think it would have worked. Well, guese what, 15 months later we still don't have this in affect. They all assured me it was going to take two weeks. What a waste of money!

I concur. Live and learn. 13.00 hour is terrible but for the area it is not bad. I wounder how many people are going to stay in the area when all is said and done.

I forgot, do you know where I can get a paint brush?

Aldi starts at $11 and I know of many places that start no one under $14/hr. Weekends off! Plus a good health plan. If $13/hr was "not bad for the area", why do 40% of the new hires not make it?

I have heard by word of mouth about the 40 percent but have not witnessed it firsthand. If this is true I would expect it is because of the treatment they receive while there. I would also suggest that todays employees feel they deserve a living before erning it. I have witnessed this first hand in my previous carreer. If people would go back to an "honest day's work for an honest day's pay" I wonder where this country would be. I suspect better off

$26k/year is working poor income! They are offering INCENTIVES for people to retire so the new hires can stay. It's cheaper to keep the new hires and they fear that no one will come back to their $13/hr job. They are having a very hard time finding workers and keeping them.

You two are a couple of working stiffs. Keep slaving for the man.

Keep on Truckin

I'll bet 26K sounds pretty good to some people right about now. Don't know if the "self made millionaire" above could possibly understand it. Again, 13.00 an hour is 5.75 above minimum wage. Problem is nobody in todays world thinks they should have to live within their budget, example would be the mortgages that people took out knowing they could not afford a higher standard of living with such a burdon. Oh well, I think i'll go buy some lottery tickets. Happy New Year!

If you are happy at 26K a year, more power to you. You are still poor! Do you know how much our CEO makes? Or how much entry level foreman make? If you are happy with your $13/hr, are you OK with getting the raise when you get your three years? For the work we do, 26Kper year isn't shit!In 10 or 15 years let me know if you woukld gladly make $13/hr to do your job. The problem with some people today is that they think making sub fair wages are OK! LIVE THE AMERICAN DREAM! Try that on 26K with a wife and two children! Mike, get real!

Yo dude, I am not the CEO of Goodyear so that is apples and oranges. Have a wife, 2 kids and 3 grandkids. You need to stop thinking corporate america is out to get you! I already completed a carreer in which I Supervised both Union and non-union workers. Did this for over 23 years. 26k is not a forever wage. you have, by the sound of your remarks, most likely you have been lucky enough to have had a well paying job for most of your life. Many people look at 26k as a fair entry level wage. If you want to throw supervisory positions in the mix that changes the entire demographic. Another thing to note is New York state is not a right to work state and from my travels can tell you that this lowers the wage scales. Also, FYI only 12.1% of the U.S. is in a union job (ref, Time Almanc, 2009). Why should unions posse the biggest portion of employment disputes? Good luck in July!

Good luck next week! And so you know, Goodyear plants are in other states too!

Your in Buffalo so I assumed we were discussing the Buffalo plant. Start school next week so I apprieciate the wishes. 26k could always be better but in this economic time it is not as bad as it sounds. People just need to stay within thier means and work towards the goal of new cars and such, not just expect it because they have a job. Oh well we could go on and on but times a wasting. Good luck to you as well. As an after thought, people can always persue a carreer in the militar provided they fall in the age group and physical requirements. This might even do some a great service farther down the road. Good luck again!

Work is work WTF

Is it?

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Dennis M wrote:

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This is one of the best plants in North America!