Quote:
Originally Posted by fastball
I am in clinical engineering at a well known Cleveland hospital and we have to submit at minimum 6 cost savings reports/ideas to my boss every fiscal quarter - at the same time, we must continue to provide top quality service and maintenance on all critical life support systems and equipment. No corners cut, but still under budget. Believe me, I know how trying that can be but it can be done.
What we don't have to deal with are legacy costs. I won't flush this thread down the political toilet, but I will say that GM didn't HAVE to agree to provide healthcare to every person back when these contracts were negotiated. GM could have had 401k or other investment options for retirement instead of a company funded pension. Most people in this country have a 401k or 403b or other retirement investment options (whatever they're worth now is not the point - they're not burned by the profits of a single company, but many different ones). Most people in this country have a healthcare plan provided by a third party and they pay a monthly stipen out of their paycheck to keep it, and have deductables and co-pays and other expenses. Even at the hospital we still have to pay for it.
The legacy costs, company funded pensions, company funded healthcare, no matter who is to blame, they were completely avoidable, and for that I do blame the powers that be at GM. Not you, or Scott, or anyone else who really don't have anything to do with it. In fact I think you do a hell of job considering the circumstances...... which is why I'm sure every car you make would be so much better if the right cost structre was there.
Sorry for the rant. I don't mean anything I say personally, it's my completely objective view of the modern global automotive business from someone who's followed pretty much every car from every car company in the last 20 years.
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Two thoughts:
I would never attempt to tell a hospital how to run their business....why? Because I've never worked in the health care industry.
YES -- I've had several hospital stays -- but I'm still not a subject expert......
(it could be argued that my hospital stay would have been MUCH better if a certain nurse........well........nevermind....but it would have only cost a few bucks more!!!!........) (OK -- I'll go stand in the corner now.....)
Now-- I'm not saying this to slam you.....
What I AM saying is that I take exception to "GM didn't HAVE to agree to provide health care............" -
Oh Really?
May I suggest you go and dig up any major newspaper from ANY of the Strikes that the UAW waged against the big three---
The last one was bad enough that the President of the United Statee became involved.
Go look at 1998 -- the strike nearly killed us -- and it nearly put several suppliers out of business. (go ask SLP!!)
IT IS NOT THAT SIMPLE...........
The U.S. auto industry has not been on a level playing field for many many years.........and I'm sorry, but I think people need to go and look very hard at the competition --
I remember sending a group (at the Atlanta Auto Show) to one of the Japanese displays -- asking them to find a car that had an interior as nice as the LT Leatherette Interior in the Aveo at the time (two years ago???)
They were absolutely STUNNED --
We suffer from a perception problem -- and a soft I.P. isn't gonna fix that.
Once again -- I remind you -- we utilized the15 Disciples on many many issues........it's not like we did not listen to anyone..........