averagejoe074

x's 2!! my exact thoughts on this!..

ttuton

I AGREE 100%

Keith Atlanta

I spent the first 7 years of my career as a manufacturing engineer. So I think I can at least provide my theory on this. The American laborer is screwing himself. Everybody talks about the lack of jobs but go out and try to hire a blue collar laborer for $10-$12 an hour. You cant do it! Every 18-30 year old watches MTV and thinks they are entitled to a lifestyle off of MTV Cribs! If you think $10 -12 an hour is too little - it is fair for a factory job.

All of this being said, not all companies in the US are slow. The companies doing well have the capability of taking their profits and re-tooling or installing automation. A CNC machine, robot or any other piece of fully automated equipment will never be hungover, call off, or screw up and they dont need benefit. GE Factory automation or FANUC are busy right now automating facilities left and right. These companies that once employed 2500 manufacturing workers will now only employ 300 thereby decreasing need... and so will many others.

Catmando

Wow thanks for all those links did you use Google? Gonna read them all today I hope. I like that the Ram trucks have the most domestic parts content, but the two diesels I had were made in Mexico and I don't really understand why, considering the 1500s are built in St. Louis iirc. Those jobs should be here in America.

Also my wife's Town and Country and my 300 Hemi were built in Canada. No reason for that either because the Union contracts are the same throughout the Chrysler-Dodge system.

Plowtownmissile

Not anymore. The entire St.Louis based Chrysler van & truck plant is now just a huge parking lot. It was gutted of everything valuable (shipped out), they bulldozed the buildings down, and the pile of rubble was sold for scrap steel.

VtSteve

Given it's what I want to buy, I'd rather buy a car made in the USA by a foreign corporation than one made in Mexico by a US corporation. When a company closes it's US plant and fires all the workers, then builds a plant in Mexico, paying $3.50 an hour, then raises the car's price, that doesn't impress me. I can buy stock in Ford or Toyota, and feel like an owner.

The workers for auto companies now make about the same money, and it varies from make to make. In general, jobs are important. I don't like it when companies outsource production to another country, then turn around and give their consumers the shaft. A lot of excuses were made during the last decade when the US content thing became a thing to follow. Most seem to show loyalty to a nameplate rather than the workers or the jobs. Given some of the animosity towards US workers the last decade, I don't know why Buy American is so important to many. If you want an American company to make more money, buy their Chinese-made or Mexican made car.

It's nice that some US companies are now re-investing within America and setting up new plants and production. Ford seems to have found a way to employ Americans and build new production within our borders lately. A nice trend. They finally came out with some attractive models people wanted, and they sold well. A novel concept. As Henry Ford said, his customers have to make enough to buy his cars.

http://www.cars.com/go/advice/Story....ory=amMade0611

soldier4402

I understand your thought but you still are not getting the big picture. If you havea yota that is made here say 75% of it vs a ford made here and say 75% of it. The profits stay here which in turn are invested etc. BIG picture, and what you are thinking is the exact reason Jap companies came over here, they didnt move over here for the goodnes of their heart, because our labor actually cost them more. They do it for PR reasons.

soldier4402

You have a good point, but what american family can live off of 10 bucks an hour, even two people making that? Now I am not disagreeing with you, I am a big proponent that not everybody is entitled to a big house, two new cars, and a flat screen. Should unskilled factory workers make 20-25 an hour probably not. But unions forced the wages up, which in turn created inflation, wages in the other sectors to rise, and forced companies to seek labor in other countries. In a sense american workers as a whole screwed themselves, and were paid to much. As much as it sucks I think if everybody took a 10% pay cut we would find that prices would drop on everything. My theory might not be to far off, because if you look back 15-20 years ago people were not paid quite as much but things were a lot less pricely.

The fact remains we have to start making more of our stuff again, not just cars, but everything. The jobs are going to white collar jobs which is smaller percentage and the rest are going to the 10-12 buck an hour service jobs, the inbetween is gone and that is our problem. Face it not everybody is going to fit into the white collar category.

VtSteve

Interesting theory on the wages. But how much have Ford's cars made in Mexico been reduced in price? Wages are about 10% of the car's cost. Starting wages at the plants now are not close to what they were. Have you seen dramatic sticker price reductions?

If wages were cut across the board 10%, that's how much companies would save on their operating costs, pretty much period. As for investing, billions are being invested overseas in expanding markets. That's a good thing, as it keeps profits and growth rolling. But it indirectly impacts us all here, but still an important part of the big picture.

There's so many arguments about labor and jobs now. They hate unions, get rid of them, jobs lost, wages down. When consumers have less to spend, demand goes down, jobs go down. Markets are impacted by many things. Do I need to buy a Mexican made Ford Fusion over a Kentucky-made Camry? Some Camry's are now going to be exported. But the big picture is this. Do we help create potential markets by building plants in Mexico? Probably yes, in the long run. I'd rather Mexico be strong not poor. Engineers and designers from Mexico have been training in Michigan. Wonder why?

A lot of the arguments made about the Buy American product push are being made by many people that have fought labor tooth and nail, and cheered when jobs went overseas. Not all certainly, but many. The subject is very complicated, and involves much more than simple corporate domain. Most, if not all of the foreign companies manufacturing in the US are US corporations.

soldier4402

Many good points. And you have to look at Toyota and others in the states, they do not treat their workers like the UAW does. Now a few year back they actually made more but that was due to some last min bonuses paid. But there as been horror stories as far benefits and people being let go due to illness. As much as I hate anything leaving the country I would rather see a strong mexico/canada then a strong japan or china.