Profitable, Sustainable Growth

I know, I know, another American Axle story?


Since they've been on strike now for 3 days short of 2 months, or for those counting...


57 days


To be honest, this is a diary because it's incredibly important and needs to be brought up, over and over and over again.  Maybe then, a few might put some pressure on the candidates to address the strike and the THOUSANDS currently out of work because of the strike and not because they are actually on strike.


Okay, so let's get to the meat of today's bit of gloom and doom...

From  MSNBC:

"We obviously want to win, and we’d like to be No. 1 in sales at the end of the year," he said. "But really our focus right now is on profitable, sustainable growth across the world."

GM said it posted record sales in three of its four regions, but a 10 percent drop in North America pulled down the overall numbers. Sales were up 8 percent outside of North America, the Detroit automaker said.

A record 64 percent of GM’s sales in the latest quarter came from outside the United States, with the company reporting nearly 20 percent growth in the Latin America, Africa and Middle East region, 6 percent growth for Asia Pacific operations and 3 percent growth in Europe.

GM sold roughly 2.27 million vehicles worldwide in the first quarter of 2007.

So, with all the growth internationally, it got me to thinking about how GM is going to be able to focus on profitable sustainable growth.


You see, the American Axle strike has affected more than 30 GM plants in at least 3 countries and countless other manufacturing jobs elsewhere (think about the nearly 2% rise in unemployment for Fort Wayne). With people out of work in Indiana, Pennsylvania, New York, Ottawa, Ontario, ugh, I don't even think I can go on with this list.  Suffice it to say that the 37,000 workers who were laid off or on reduced schedules in mid March are now being joined by previously working people.  And don't just think GM here.  GM is the biggest user of American Axle parts, but they aren't the only one.  What happens when Chrysler suspends opeartions or suppliers who get parts from American Axle to make components for Ford can no longer produce their product?  Well, I think you can now get the picture.


So, when is it going to be the right time for GM to put PUBLIC pressure on Dick Dauch?  When can we see an end to all this completely unneccessary wage cuts and give backs from the workers while the CEO and his cronies rake in million dollar bonuses?


Personally, I think now is the right time for GM to step up.  I also think it's our responsibility to do so as well.

Working together we can do anything.  I belive, we can even get Dick Dauch to start negotiating in Good Faith, once and for all.