Did you ever lose a good job ?

[Rattletrap2]

Interesting topic Lew.

I have only been laid off once in 1983 when I was an Apprentice and we were in a recession. The company was the worst I ever worked for and I never looked back! It was a blessing in disguise, but it sure brought on a lot of stress at the time. I had bought our first house two years earlier and I was making twice the hourly rate at the time of purchase before I decided to quit and become an Apprentice. We had our first baby that year too.

A few years back, I was doing an event called "Future Building" in Bowmanville. This is where 6,000 to 7,000 Grade 6,7,8 kids come with their Teachers and Guidance Counsellors to see what the Building trades are all about. This couple comes walking through an I asked them if they were Guidance Counsellors or Teachers. The guy says neither, I am an out of work Auto Worker and looking for a new career! He had to be early to mid '50's and my heart broke for him. I mean it is not impossible to start an Apprenticeship at that age, but it ain't easy either.

Let's face it. That is probably the toughest age to be looking for a career job. Too young to retire for many, but too old to really start over! Companies are not putting a lot of value on middle aged workers. They would rather get them young and cheap. When starting over, the years they put in do not add up to experience on the job. Maybe life experience and maturity, but no job experience when starting completely fresh.

[AKRISONER]

Can’t say I agree about it being a crap shoot, My immediate family and myself have been burned by each of the domestic manufacturers now. My father was a ford man through and through until the 90’s when he gave up on them. He even gave them another chance and bought a escape for my mom and it’s been stupid as well. Countless recalls and stupid stuff breaking.

my truck is a lemon...just straight up...I could make a list of all of the problems I’ve had and the truck has less than 100,000k on it. It’s a joke.

my favourite part is that in the winter I have to drive with my windows open because my truck dumps exhaust into the cab. I took it in three times under warranty and it was never fixed. I literally have to turn my heat off at stop lights to avoid being choked out

Ford and GM my interactions with their head offices through my work seems to hint at the problems and attitude being systemic in both of them. Go figure the attitude is shared by both companies.
 

ive talked about it at length, from outboards, snowmobiles, quads and cars now, the Japanese manufactures just do the job right. My family isnt even loyal to one particular one! at this moment we have 4 outboards ones a Honda two are Yamahas and ones a suzuki! it can’t just be coincidence that between  4 outboards , two quads, and 4 different vehicles from Honda, Nissan and Mazda we’ve never had an unexpected problem or stupid annoyance with any of them...good riddance to GM. I’m sure their quality is bound to improve even more when they hire more cheap Mexican labour.

im sorry to anyone that’s worked for them, they have done you dirty and it’s not surprising.
 

i already know I’m bound to catch flack from the GM or Ford guys on the forum saying “I love my Chevy, dodge, ford, Mercury, BRP” etc etc

you bet, like clockwork my rotax 600 blew up with 500km on it. Thank god it was under warranty.

brother owned a Chevy cobalt, and a loose bolt went through a cylinder and ended up in his oil pan at 13,000km

maybe it’s just bad luck...but It just can’t be coincidence anymore when 10 times in a row the domestics break, and then 10 times in a row the japanese have 0 problems. Fool me once shame on you fool me 10 times shame on me!

Edited December 21, 2019 by AKRISONER

[DanD]

I've only worked for four different people. The first was on the families farm until I was 16. In 1976 my Dad arranged an interview for me, with two guys at a garage; who needed an apprentice mechanic. Stayed with them all through my apprenticeship and writing for my license. I new there wasn't enough room ($ wise) for three mechanics; so I left them on good terms. The next day I got a job at a small two bay garage; the owner was stuck; his last mechanic quit without notice. I'm pretty sure that was the only reason he gave me a chance. I was a snot nosed 20 year old, waving a mechanic's certificate. LOL I stayed with him for about 4 years. Until he came to me and said that by the end of the mouth, I'll have 2 choices to make. Look for a new job or buy him out; he was retiring. So I bought him out and have been "self employed" ever since. Why the quotations on self employed; I have approx 4 thousand people in my customer file. That's how many employers I actually have. I'll never will get rich at this; but I was able to help put both my kids through university. My daughter is a lawyer working here in town. My son is an automotive engineer working in Warren Michigan and in this thread, he works for the dark side; GM. LOL He's the release engineer for North American rear wheel drive vehicles; anything that deals with engine mounts, transmission and body. He puts his OK on these types of parts, before they go to the assembly plants. There's been so many times; that he has told me that GM could and has come up on the quality of their vehicles; but it is the bean counters that are in charge. Kind of like the patients running the asylum.

Dan.         

Edited December 23, 2019 by DanD

[lew]

5 minutes ago, DanD said:

I have approx 4 thousand people in my customer file.

Both you & your reputation as an honest mechanic must be well known in your area Dan, that's something to be really proud of.

Good on you !!

[DanD]

Been in the trade now for close to 40 years Lew. My rep is all I have and yes I'm proud of it. The nicest part of this is. I never have to duck around the corner; if I see one of my customers coming towards me. LOL

Dan.

[lew]

There's 3 privately owned repair shops within 20 minutes of me Dan and they've all got great reputations too . Good to know for anyone looking for honest work.

Edited December 23, 2019 by lew

[Old Ironmaker]

My 1st real job other than pumping gas and delivering prescriptions for the local drug store I got a weekend job in the steel plant as a highschool 16 years old as well as a labourer for another contractor in the plant. I worked more than a few 40 hour weekends after school. I started full time while in grade 13 and almost made it through the school year working full time on shifts as a receiving/shipping clerk at Stelco Hilton Works. I started full time for Stelco on Nov. 7 1973. We had 25 and out in the Ironmaking Division and at 45 years old/young I took my very early pension as a middle level manager for a number of reasons. I have never collected a single unemployment payment in my life. I have had to hand out pink slips to several hourly rated employees through the years. It was a tough thing to do but not as tough for the guys getting the layoff. Many were living pay to pay with good salaries so I worried they would have a tough go on E.I. Many did and many marriages failed under the stress. I was always told I was "lucky" to have a steady job. Luck had nothing to do with it. Going in for a night shift on a weekend or worse was a long weekend at 20 something years old when all the boys were going out to party for the weekend up north wasn't being lucky. I can't count how many stats including Christmas's and New Years  I had to go in for, year real lucky. I remembering having to get a shift change to stand up for my brother on his wedding day, real lucky. When I went on days I had to ask my wife what goes on Christmas and New Years Eve? That helped open my eyes and realized there was a big world outside the steel mills and more to life than putting in 60 hour weeks so I cashed out. I was lucky. 

The harder you work the luckier you get.

Johnny D.

Dan D. you should be very proud. You reputation is only as good as your last happy customer. 

Edited December 23, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[SirCranksalot]

13 hours ago, DanD said:

Been in the trade now for close to 40 years Lew. My rep is all I have and yes I'm proud of it. The nicest part of this is. I never have to duck around the corner; if I see one of my customers coming towards me. LOL

Dan.

I always look for, and have found, a fairly small family run business----honest and competent people who are in it for the long haul, who are content to make a reasonable profit ,  and prob want to pass the business down to their children. In a small town that is essential for survival, IMO. We also have a Home H business here in town that is in it's second generation and seems to follow the same philosophy. 

[chris.brock]

there's horror stories from Titan and Tundra owners too, with the current state down here in the GTA and the political climate, I just absolutely refuse to buy and drive a foreign vehicle

I work for Ford, I've had great luck with their vehicles and have always bought new Fords, zero problems, no complaints in that respect, but mainly because of the way they treat their employees, my wife and I are both driving Wranglers and there probably will never be a Ford or GM in our driveway, out of principle.

with Trudeau steering this ship to hell in a hand basket, all we've got left is our buying power

 

 

 

[Old Ironmaker]

11 hours ago, chris.brock said:

there's horror stories from Titan and Tundra owners too, with the current state down here in the GTA and the political climate, I just absolutely refuse to buy and drive a foreign vehicle

I work for Ford, I've had great luck with their vehicles and have always bought new Fords, zero problems, no complaints in that respect, but mainly because of the way they treat their employees, my wife and I are both driving Wranglers and there probably will never be a Ford or GM in our driveway, out of principle.

with Trudeau steering this ship to hell in a hand basket, all we've got left is our buying power

 

 

 

If you are a Ford family why are you both driving Chryslers? OK I re read it, got it. My BIL was a 35 year employee of GM in St. Kitts and has always refused to drive any GM product for the same reason, how poorly they treat their workers. They are a 100% Chrysler family. I never got why someone would not support the company that their livelihoods and their pensions and benefits are tied to. Their success is the employees and pensioners success, or failure. No one is too big to fail, of course except our Governments. 

We do all our service and auto repairs at a small shop in Caledonia. The bonus is they are right across the street from where my wife works. It's run by 2 young brothers and I have zero complaints. They know everyone of their customers by 1st name. It's Caledonia Tire on Argyle St. South, I highly recommend them to any of you that live close by. I can't say that about the GM dealer or the CTC in town. 

Edited December 24, 2019 by Old Ironmaker

[Rob]

I own an F-150 and I like the truck, but like with most others have had my fair share of recalls and stupid repairs that are for the most part ridiculously priced. I worked for Magna for 11 years as a toolmaker and then 5 years in process engineering before switching careers and now teaching high school shop. When at Magna, I was treated well considering it was a non unionized environment. With regards to quality in vehicles, I dealt with Ford, Honda, GM, and Chrysler. Honda's quality and the way they deal with quality issues was far more superior to the North American automaker's. The bottom big the barrel for me was Chrysler, you couldn't get me to buy anything they had to do with. I always thought they had great design to their products but the quality just isn't there. Within my family we have three Toyota Camrys and they have been great cars for us. Would I buy another F-150? Probably because I like the size and comfort, just hope to hell I don't end up with a lemon!

 

Rob C