GM plant to workers: Drive our cars or walk

[Lonestar]

Hell no. Show company loyalty. It isn't like the UAW hasn't been damaging GM, and with it a good portion of the country's economy, for years...

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Lonestar
... Show company loyalty.

Company loyalty comes voluntarily from the employees.

When its imposed from above, it's called oppression.

[Donegeal]

Looking at this from a different angle... this could be viewed as just another company benefit similar to Employee Discounts.

You can get a discount on a car, but only if its GM.
You can park your car here, but only if its a GM.

Not much difference.

[Lorizael]

Except that this is really penalizing those who don't own GMs, rather than rewarding those who do.

[Arrian]

One gives you a tangible incentive to buy the car.

The other is a petty punishment for those who don't.

Moreover, it's just pathetic. It reeks of weakness.

I work for an insurance company. I actually do have our auto insurance through my employer, in part due to the employee discount and the payroll deduction option. However, until recently that was not the case (our company used to be WAY more expensive, and recently re-rated). If the company kicked me out of my parking garage and sent me to the (figurative) other side of town to park because I dared buy some other company's insurance, my reaction would be a mixture of anger and disgust.

Talk about not having faith in your product!

-Arrian

[Japher]

yeah, definitly not positive reinforcement

however, the employee discount GM offers is outstanding. you'd be an idiot not to buy one, which is probably how they weed out the weak.

I wonder if the president of the company has a Cobalt or an A8?

[Arrian]

I bet he drives one of the monstrosities known as SUVs. Suburban?

-Arrian

[Wezil]

Originally posted by Japher
What if you have a GM car, but it's in the shop and the loaner the shop gave you is a Nissan?

When I worked in the industry we were required to provide a car/vehicle by the same manufacturer. We weren't always able to do this (out of cars) so we just got creative with the contracts - ie - a 'Ford Impala'

[Arrian]

Ford Impala. :shudder:

I drove a Chevy Impala in highschool.

1977, sky blue, inline 6 engine. 15mpg, ~16 seconds 0 to 60. Body lean on turns like you wouldn't believe. God, it was terrible. So terrible I kind of miss it.

-Arrian

[yin26]

What if you have a GM car, but it's in the shop...?

LOL! One reason I bought a Toyota back in college is precisely because I couldn't afford my American car going to the shop. I'd say if your GM car is in the shop, GM's response should be:

"And for being a loyal peon, we'll provide stale cake at the local GM shop while we dock you for missed hours at work."

[Wezil]

Yin26 - The wild card in the equation is always the dealership. I can tell you some Toyota horror stories. The worse dealership I dealt with regularly was Dodge/Chrysler.

Arrian - How about a Pontiac Focus?

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Arrian

Talk about not having faith in your product!

I think Arrian has spotted one of the more distrubing messages that GM is sending out with the policy: That GM employees won't buy GM cars unless they are forced to.

---my god...what do they know that i don't!!

[Arrian]

my god...what do they know that i don't!!

If you haven't figured out by now that GM sucks, wow.

-Arrian

[Asher]

So this is how desperate American car companies are...

[yin26]

Well, my college days go pretty far back now (more than a decade). Our Dodge Grand Caravan, I must say, has been excellent, and so has been the service garage. No complaints. This, of course, is the legacy American automakers need to focus on and NOT petty garbage about making some workers walk a longer distance. For example:

1. What if the worker couldn't afford to buy a GM car and uses his/her current --non GM-- car to get to work? The assumption that everybody has the cash to burn on a car of their choice is sickening. Maybe any "disposable" income is going toward trying to cure yourself of cancer or, God forbid, accumulate savings. I understand that health care and anything but spending more than you can afford are unpatriotic to Corporate America.

2. What if the worker just simply thinks the Toyota is a better car despite any GM discounts? That should tell GM something, right, and perhaps even give their workers some insight on the competition? No, I guess it's better to be out of sight and out of mind: "Herb, just look at our parking lot out there. Absolutely PACKED with GM cars!!! Not a foreign make to be seen! Our cars must be taking over the world!!!"

3. GM should attack Iran. Nobody criticizes a war time auto maker.