American Axle Offering Buyouts To Workers At Buffalo Plant

American Axle is not idling the Buffalo plant because of lagging demand for its product. It has decided to produce its products offshore or in Mexico where wages and benefits are a small fraction of the American workers. We will have to wait and see if the parking lots in Mexico and China are as full of new GM vehicles as the ones in Buffalo and Detroit. Greed is alive and wearing red, white and blue.

Of course, the bigwigs see no problem closing the plant on Dec 23rd- gee, what a nice holiday gift for these employees. See how things are going with products from China? Maybe they'd better stop sending our jobs to places overseas and Mexico and help OURSELVES, the AMERICANS out and KEEP OUR JOBS HERE!!!

BUY AMERICAN and SUPPORT THE US!!

Oh, and of course, they're offering no severence pay, either, altho I'm sure the bigwigs would get theirs and they don't care about the workers!

The UAW did it to themselves. Greedy workers who think they deserve 25/hr for "unskilled" labor will get a quick reality check as the begin looking for new jobs.

In the 20's and 30's, unions were a must. This day in age, there's no need for them in the U.S.

Their high-wage demand will never work in our global manufacturing economy.

Josh wrote:

The UAW did it to themselves. Greedy workers who think they deserve 25/hr for "unskilled" labor will get a quick reality check as the begin looking for new jobs.
In the 20's and 30's, unions were a must. This day in age, there's no need for them in the U.S.
Their high-wage demand will never work in our global manufacturing economy.

I agree as I work in a nonunion engine plant and i make nowhere near 25$ an hour people need to live within there means and wakeup to the different world we live in and you dont have to be a genius to work here and I drive a Toyota

This is sad because in the 1960's I walked out of high school and began to work in this plant. During that time we went on strike to get things like health care, overtime, wage increases, cost of living, job security and many other things that seem normal today but were unheard of then. I took advantage of the education programs we worked for and got my degree which allowed me to advance myself.My point is we went from low paid workers with few benefits to what you have today in five decades. The auto companies made billion dollar profits so don't blame these workers because they made good pay with good benefits and they are not the problem. The problem is the politicians that let free trade,outsourced companies and tax breaks for going to China and Mexico...They took the middle class away not the people in the UAW.. "The Greek's Peek"

Don't start the union argument again. The UAW didn't ruin everything for the american worker. These people don't deserve to lose thier jobs. You would take a $25/hour in a minute and not feel bad about it if you had the chance. Corporate management, UAW, and free trade are all to blame. American cars are garbage for the value compared to the asian market, and the UAW isn't engineering them. They are just assembling what is put in front of them.

ok now we know about local 424, so when are they going to buy out tonawanda and cheektawaga? give me some news BROTHA SETTLES

This is the most asinine thing I have seen. The plant closes, and the workers get cash buyouts of $100k?????HELLO....no wonder the US automakers can't make money. NORMALLY....if a plant closes....workers are laid off and file for unemployment benefits until they find a new job. In the US automotive world....a plant closes....workers are shoveled a heap of cash....and granted early retirement.

Who would not take a 25-32 dollar an hour job if it was offered to them, and they did not already make that much. I make more than that, have a degree and am a engineer in the auto industry, and I am also non union. I have alot of friends and aquaintances who work on the sweltering plant floors with me, and they deserve every penny. I ask all the people who yell and moan about overpaid auto workers this questions. DO you make what they make a hour now? If not, would you turn down the money? Its not easy work. You try being on a hot floor with no ac and broken fans all around you. It was nearly 130 on the plant floor where I work last week. By the time you come off the floor, your soaking wet and your clothes are too...

were sorry burger king does not have these bennys

Maybe some of you should work the same, monotanous job for years upon end, suffering physical and mental abuse on your body and see how much you feel you're worth?

Get over it- these jobs are few and far between and you WOULD take a $25/hr job. These ppl do NOT deserve to lose their jobs. It totally sucks that everything is going overseas.

I wish all the employees the best of luck in finding new employment!!

The brothers and sisters of Local 424 have a very generous severance pacakge negotiated for them. This is a very soft landing for those leaving the company and will give them ample opportunity to network and perform a job search that will results in comparable wages. Getting $100K, $70K, or $50K is a blessing when the plant is closing, not everyone is so lucky.

with technology today, its all robots. its not that taxing of a job.

plus, these unions only hire thier own, not just anyone. its nepitism and iam glad to see so many lose thier jobs.

good luck in the real world, you will need it

E Amherst wrote:

with technology today, its all robots. its not that taxing of a job.
plus, these unions only hire thier own, not just anyone. its nepitism and iam glad to see so many lose thier jobs.
good luck in the real world, you will need it

get a life!

Boy, E Amherst, you are certainly cold hearted!! You would not feel this way if they were your relatives or had the opportunity to have had a job there. You must not have much luck in life if you are glad to see so many lose their jobs as you say...shame on you.

Its a sad reality for these workers, but its either take the more than generous severance, or get nothing.

Private sector jobs rarely get this type of treatment when jobs are outsourced, etc... so they're extremely lucky to get anything.

Mike wrote:

Its a sad reality for these workers, but its either take the more than generous severance, or get nothing.
Private sector jobs rarely get this type of treatment when jobs are outsourced, etc... so they're extremely lucky to get anything.

Well said Mike, and if they are truly hard working people then they surely will find comparable wages in the private OR public sector. People are paid for the skills they bring to the table.

E Amherst wrote:

with technology today, its all robots. its not that taxing of a job.
plus, these unions only hire thier own, not just anyone. its nepitism and iam glad to see so many lose thier jobs.
good luck in the real world, you will need it

And are you glad for the economic impact the closing will have on this already hurting area? Have any of you thought about that? Do you realize how many of these people are likely to end up on public assistance eventually...public assistance WE pay for (hello, here comes another rise in taxes!)? How many of them will join the surge of those leaving the area? How many will be spending less in our stores, putting less money into the local economy?
You're "glad to see so many lose their jobs"? Well then you have no clue about basic economics, do you? Think about the BIG picture for a change!

Its sad that Buffalo (and NY State) has been built on the theory that unionized public and private un-skilled and semi-skilled making $25.00 per hour plus super benefits are worth the money. If so, employers from around the world will be here to relocate or hire and relocate workers.

Buffalo and New York State have a horad of third or fourth generation bilegerant union people who truly believe they have a right to $25.00 hourly jobs - and super benefits. This is probably reinforced in our unionized public schools.

Falling apart isn't it?