Neat Trick: Ford nixxing 900 jobs in Flat Rock while expanding production of Mustang,

[wickedstangs]

<p>Filed under: <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/coupes/" rel="tag">Coupe</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hirings-firings/" rel="tag">Hirings/Firings/Layoffs</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/plants-manufacturing/" rel="tag">Plants/Manufacturing</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/hatchbacks/" rel="tag">Hatchback</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/ford/" rel="tag">Ford</a>, <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/category/mazda/" rel="tag">Mazda</a></p><a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20100217/AUTO01/2170321/1148/rss25"><img hspace="0" border="1" vspace="4" alt="" src="http://www.blogcdn.com/www.autoblog.com/media/2010/02/robheardmustang3483opt.jpg" /></a><br />
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The desire to make more of the <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mustang">Ford Mustang</a> and <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/mazda6">Mazda6</a>, while improving efficiency and quality, is leading <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/make/ford">Ford</a> to cut, not add jobs at its Flat Rock Assembly Plant. The plant's 2,280-strong workforce is expected to decrease by 900, with Ford reducing the number of shifts from two to one and increasing the line speed by 35 percent. <br />
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Moving to just a single shift will help stabilize assembly at the plant, which produced 109,000 vehicles last year but experienced a lot of downtime when new vehicle sales cratered. In turn, the workers who remain to work the single shift should appreciate less idle time away from the job and stay sharper as a result, thereby increasing quality as well.<br />
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Those workers who have been cut will be moved to the Chicago assembly plant to help build the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/tag/explorer">Ford Explorer</a> later this year, while others will be transferred to Michigan Assembly to build the new <a href="http://www.autoblog.com/model/focus">Ford Focus</a>. Those not given new positions will be offered contract buyouts.<br />
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[Source: <a href="http://www.detnews.com/article/20100217/AUTO01/2170321/1148/rss25">The Detroit News</a>]<p style="padding:5px;background:#ddd;border:1px solid #ccc;clear:both;"><a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/neat-trick-ford-nixxing-900-jobs-in-flat-rock-while-expanding-p/">Neat Trick: Ford nixxing 900 jobs in Flat Rock while expanding production of Mustang, Mazda6</a> originally appeared on <a href="http://www.autoblog.com">Autoblog</a> on Fri, 19 Feb 2010 17:32:00 EST. Please see our <a href="http://www.weblogsinc.com/feed-terms/">terms for use of feeds</a>.</p><h6 style="clear: both; padding: 8px 0 0 0; height: 2px; font-size: 1px; border: 0; margin: 0; padding: 0;"></h6><a href=http://www.detnews.com/article/20100217/AUTO01/2170321/1148/rss25>Read</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/neat-trick-ford-nixxing-900-jobs-in-flat-rock-while-expanding-p/" rel="bookmark" title="Permanent link to this entry">Permalink</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/forward/19362058/" title="Send this entry to a friend via email">Email this</a>&nbsp;|&nbsp;<a href="http://www.autoblog.com/2010/02/19/neat-trick-ford-nixxing-900-jobs-in-flat-rock-while-expanding-p/#comments" title="View reader comments on this entry">Comments</a>


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[Superstang21]

At least they are moving alot of the people to the Chicago Plant... Being from Flat Rock myself, I know alot of people that work at that plant and some of the others around that area.

 

[ears]

well, atleast theyre not just sending them out without a job! theyre giving them somethin, thats alot more than many companies would do! ie gm~~~

 

[spdpilot]

We all know what this means. Quality is going to suffer badly. Ford is making big cost cutting moves lately that remind me of what GM did in the 80's and 90's. They never did recover.

If Ford could have increased line speed 35 percent, they would have done it along time ago.

Then you deduct 1/3 of the workers and cut shifts in half.

There is something wrong. At best they will turn out crap.

 

[BurnieB78]

Dude...idk what your reading but pretty sure it said they are cutting to IMPROVE quality by increasing the line.

 

[spdpilot]

Dude...idk what your reading but pretty sure it said they are cutting to IMPROVE quality by increasing the line.

It said.....

"The plant's 2,280-strong workforce is expected to decrease by 900, with Ford reducing the number of shifts from two to one and increasing the line speed by 35 percent. "

Those are the facts. Cutting shifts, cutting 38% of your workers, and increasing line speed by 35%. So, let me put it in simple terms. 3 of you at work are busting your ass and barely able to get your work done. your boss walks in and says, we are letting one of you go and OH By The Way, the two of you still here must double your work output and still get it done. Do you think your work quality is going to improve?

The "improve quality" statement and the picture of the smiling worker in the car is for warm fuzzies for Stock Holders.

 

[BurnieB78]

OK pilot...im not gunna get into it on the forums. You read what you read. Take it easy bro...drive safe if your out in the weather.

 

[Xodus989]

It said.....

"The plant's 2,280-strong workforce is expected to decrease by 900, with Ford reducing the number of shifts from two to one and increasing the line speed by 35 percent. "

Those are the facts. Cutting shifts, cutting 38% of your workers, and increasing line speed by 35%. So, let me put it in simple terms. 3 of you at work are busting your ass and barely able to get your work done. your boss walks in and says, we are letting one of you go and OH By The Way, the two of you still here must double your work output and still get it done. Do you think your work quality is going to improve?

The "improve quality" statement and the picture of the smiling worker in the car is for warm fuzzies for Stock Holders.

They're doing it to reduce idle time on the line? Less idle time + same amount of breaks = better production.

That's like saying, you have 3 people and 4 days to do a job. Day 4 of the 3 is spent doing nothing. Get rid of the 3'rd person, and now you're doing some more work, but spending 3.5 days working instead of 3. So speed up the speed that the work needs to be done, and you get it done in 3 days. You no longer have unneeded downtime between projects. Workers still get all their breaks and everything as before. But they are being used more efficently.

 

[spdpilot]

OK pilot...im not gunna get into it on the forums. You read what you read. Take it easy bro...drive safe if your out in the weather.

Nahhh... we are good, I am not uptight about it. Just bums me out to see Ford doing this. I want Ford to win!

 

[spdpilot]

They're doing it to reduce idle time on the line? Less idle time + same amount of breaks = better production.

That's like saying, you have 3 people and 4 days to do a job. Day 4 of the 3 is spent doing nothing. Get rid of the 3'rd person, and now you're doing some more work, but spending 3.5 days working instead of 3. So speed up the speed that the work needs to be done, and you get it done in 3 days. You no longer have unneeded downtime between projects. Workers still get all their breaks and everything as before. But they are being used more efficently.

You are right, that is the theory. And there is "some" truth to what they are saying, but like many big companies if you follow the bouncing ball and add up all the pieces, it doesn't work out the way it may seem.

Less down time does mean a faster Line speed. But less people means less production. There is going to be ALOT less production with the number of people cut, then they will ever make up in less down time (fast line speed). Not to even mention what a faster line does to quality.

I just think they put a pretty face on it, thats all. Who really knows what they will really do. Like I said, I just hate to see them do this, not because I don't think they should save every dime possible, but because it will effect quality.

 

[Xodus989]

It would have made more sense to speed up the line first, before pulling the jobs, and seen how that went.