Wow.

I don't have the right words to say Ken. I can't say I know how you feel, because that wouldn't be true.

I have read guys so often say that years later it was good that things worked out the way they had, but for you right now, that is no comfort I'm sure.

One thing I can say very truthfully is I am glad you had the guts to share with us here. Maybe we can help share the burden you are carrying right now...

Ken; so sorry to hear this news!  The project was your job? and its stopped.. Isnt there a another thing for you to do?.. Is it imediate, as of today?, or do you have some time?  Can you draw EI, or is there a package.. Surely, with you experience, there must be another choice/place... maybe THE BIG GUY wants you some place else.. hang in there..when a door closes, there is often a better for opening....at 40 you are just a pup.. enough time for 2 more careers    We will be thinking of you... Carl & Barbara Hicks

1964Canso wrote:

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I hear where your coming from,and went through the same thing last year when weyer. closed down the sawmill here.was'nt sure what to do.
You get any kind of severance package?hopefully.

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funny when I was 18 I took a job in Gen Corp Automotive a rubber molding factory for automobiles knowing that a factory was great-good wages, great benefits, retire after thirty years-I worked there 3 1/2 years, during a temporary layoff I went to a bodyshop and never returned for the security of a body man's license-after five years I could clearly see how badly this field sucked and I had it as good as it gets a GM bodyshop-I left for the local steel mill where I worked my way up from abrasive saw operator to side loader (D license) driver to the Metallurical lab through 14 different training positions and 4500 training hours on different sick/vaction jobs-this all limited my earnings but accounted for incredible security, the year before the plant closed I took a job through knowledge/skill/ability from a retiring 40 year vetern lab planner-(the best job I ever had) and just nine years senority in the plant-the next year the plant close-its a long shot but it had to due with the late 1990's economic downturn in the far east.

for four years I ran the appraisal business sponsered by the government (EI) for the first year neting $10,000 or so a year, I interviewed at countless good postions-it was always 1000 resumes, interview 100 test 16 final interview 8 hire 3 0r 4-made it to the end with Abitibi but didn't make the three

I had 3 1/2 years at Gencorp-pension is worth about $500 in trust

no pension from GM bodyshop

pension from Atlas steels is in winddown-with less than ten years it has been suggested there will be nothing left by the time my normal retirement date would arrise.

INCO was a contract position with no benefits or pension, no notice required-job ended today-I worked there hoping for the commercial facility or even research at ITSL but not to kick myself theres a lot of guys needing anything right now and it will get worse.

the short and long-I'd have twenty one years right now at GEN Corp with 500 union members below me-just had to try to do better !

don't worry about me I'll survive

Ken

If push comes to shove you have the automotive knowledge to be a dealership service consultant. It's a clean job and not bad if you can put up with dealing with the public. A good dealership will pay $50k and up. Stay away from the Canadian Tires etc. Cars always break and good people are hard to find.

69Laurentian wrote:

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If push comes to shove you have the automotive knowledge to be a dealership service consultant. It's a clean job and not bad if you can put up with dealing with the public. A good dealership will pay $50k and up. Stay away from the Canadian Tires etc. Cars always break and good people are hard to find.

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Todd,

 When I was in the bodyshop I also held the position of shop foreman/assistant bodyshop manager. I interviewed at a local GM dealer for service advisor last year-they didn't seem to like that I had a bodyman's license or knew anything about a car, they seemed to just want sales ability-thought someone with skill would try to diagnose problems-wages were base $25000 gross plus bonus incentives that potentially could earn you $40,000 he said-potentially is usually a long stretch-The dealer soap opera family seen scares me more than the irate customer's-but it is in the tinking, Performance cars was looking for a body shop estimater.
 I'm thinking for now along the lines of tryiny to grow my business with more wholesaling and cars on dealer lots etc... I've spent 23 years in the full time work force and now find myself back at square one again !

Ken

Talk to another dealership. BS over brains only works for so long..

blacktransam wrote:

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Very sorry to hear your bad news. This week in St. Thomas we took another blow with the announcement the Sterling Trucks is completely closing by early next year. Somebody was telling me the closing day here coincides with the opening of a new plant in Mexico. Of course, i also heard unskilled labour was earning 30/hr, so they kind of shot themselves in the foot with such expensive wages for the company. That's just my opinion. Anyway it's surprising how things work out. My father in law who was let go by his employer got his severence...and guess what, went back to work for them this past Tuesday on a contract that goes until Christmas and they're paying him more than he was earning before. So he's just laughing now. With the way these companies seem to run no wonder they're having to cut back. Seems to me they should be cleaning house from the top down. Start in the boardrooms before heading onto the plant floor.

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 I beg to differ-how much $ should someone make at a given job ?

 When the Atlas Steels closed I heard people tell me that we made too much money and the demand for benefits/wages is what shut us down-this is not true-we never made more than the industry standard-we never demanded or striked for huge unrealistic demands actually never stiked when I was there-when the newspaper reported our average rate at $26.00 /hr-I wondered who was making $32/hr-because even on my job class twelve job which was the highest rate for "unskilled labour" I made $20.19, I generally earned $45,000 per year but that was due to overtime/vacation pay/bonous incentives, The media learns that the average wage is $52,000/year so they divide that by the standard 2000 hours that it takes to make a full time job 40 hours per week and comes up with $26.00/hour, now lets also consider that $52,000 is the "high wage" earner overpaid fat lazy factory worker -so how much does a low wage earner make ? $25,000? Canadian tire pays $9.00/hour X 2000 =$18,000 hmmm is that the amount of money people in this great country should make to raise a family with ? The grass is always greener on the other side-I've heard people complain that nurses in our area make $43.00/hour or elementary level math teachers earning $94,000/year getting the summer off. Todd just quoted a service advisor at $50k plus thats $25.00/per hour for "unskilled" labour, my friend who is a GM parts guy at a small dealership earns $15.00/hour he's says $35,000 anually (doesn't add up) should be thirty or $17.50/hour-I know parts guys can be busy (I once did that too) but every time I go there he has 10-20 minutes to talk about whats new-I can sure tell you that when I was the lab planner at the Atlas Steels I was a lot busier than that ! He always wanted to make the "big money" that factory workers made but he never applied "because he wanted to be able to go home for lunch !" and "never understood why they had to work three shifts and how someone could stay up all night working" Yes factories have their benefits-thats why I went there. People complain about GM workers being overpaid but does the Toyota factory pay less ? Its an industry standard.

 I'll tell you-this country never had it better than when people my parents age raised families-the father could go to work-earn enough money to feed and provide for the family while mom could stay at home to care for the family and raise the kids, we had one car, a modest home and not a pile of the lastest China junk that you couldn't sell at next years garage sale-no child care bills, no extra car maintenance, no lunch packed for the wife to go to work, no work wardrobe for the wife, and more jobs because less women had to work and we bought our own manufactured products.

 The job I just lost was a contract with ZERO benefits that could end any day as it did for $25.50/per hour, you needed lab experience (I had over 4500 training hours) you needed heavy industrial experience ( so you wouldn't want to go home for lunch), we worked twelve hour shifts both days and nights, we worked in research and development working with Lithium, cobalt and nickel oxide mixes-which will KILL YOU if not handled properly, we worked three weeks on/two weeks off-I believe they offered $25.50 an hour ($23.50 plus $1 vacation and $1 holiday pay) to attract us-they had a hard time getting the experience (half the guys were retired INCO employees getting harassed for being "double dippers" then there was me and a bunch of U of T engineer grads who often quit to better pastures.

In short I believe we should be careful as to who we think makes too much money, I earned $27,000 this year and thanked the plant manager for hiring me-I try to live within my means and often take the oppourtunity to sell at a profit what I really would like to keep, I am at about $10,000 gross sales with the appraisal business too-a very good year combined, I earned $50,000 once in my 23 year working career and believe I have aquired more than just average skills.

Ken

How about this?  you apply to the Government for "forgivable loan" to start a automotive website for underprivledged Canadians...    Start off small, at $100,000.00..   I bought a ticket yesterday, and the 1st prize is 5 million.. When I win, I will donate 1 million to the site ...

427carl wrote:

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I wanted to add another thought I got news yesterday, that a family friend died suddenly!! He was driving with "his" Father, and had a heart attack..He was 51!!! yes 51!!! If we have our health we are blessed ! all the other things, we can deal with, and or get help... Keep up the communication there are a lot of people here, who would jump at a moments notice, to help you, or any others in serious need or not so serious need... lol Carl (1 of) please consider the donation spot.. I would like to get a gold star, beside my avatar.. lol

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Ouch, I turned 51 a week ago Friday. That is too close to home.

 

67BBSD wrote:

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I spoke with the plant manager yesterday and thanked him for giving me the job a year ago and told him that without it there was no way I could taken my family to see their parents/grandparents this summer, I enjoyed the job was more than pleased with the money and if he ever needed anything (appraisal or ?) to call me and I'd help him out-That is my sincere thoughts-I'm sure he was surprised-most were likely sore about it, he has no control over corporate decisions.


I bet you will be the only one who will do something like that Ken.

The fact that you did that speaks clearly about the type of character you are.

WELL DONE.

 

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-- Edited by Carl Stevenson at 11:42, 2008-10-18

Love them wheels ! You made me buy a set !-now I need a car !