How do you cut costs? "Encourage" your employees to jump ship?
Massive restructuring of Ford has resulted in some 8,000 hourly employees jumping ship in January after taking Ford's buyout offer. With a net loss of $12.7 billion (that's with a "b") in 2006, and losing more of its share of the market to boot, you have to wonder who's in charge when Ford's president says everything "is going very smoothly." If this is smooth, what happens when they think they've hit a bump?
Ford's goal is to close 16 plants and axe 45,000 jobs in its massive triage effort to turn around the remnants of the "once upon a time" auto giant. We hope so. The US economy won't be helped by the influx of unemployed workers that the "big 3" have let go in the last six months. After all, the thought that we might all end up driving cars from China is more than a little bit frightening.
The China car market is a whole new ballgame but at least they have a Lemon Law --- it isn't as strong as US Lemon Laws, but it's a start!
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Known nationwide as a leading Lemon Law attorney, Ronald L. Burdge has represented literally thousands of consumers in "lemon" lawsuits and actively co-counsels and coaches other Consumer Law attorneys. From 2005 through 2018, attorney Ronald L. Burdge has been named as the only Lemon Law Ohio Super Lawyer by Law and Politics magazine and Thomson Reuters Corp., Professional Division. Burdge restricts his practice to Lemon Law and Consumer Law cases. The Ohio Super Lawyer results are published annually in the January issue of Cincinnati Magazine. Ronald L. Burdge was named Consumer Law Trial Lawyer of the Year 2004 by the National Association of Consumer Advocates, the nation's largest organization of consumer law private and government attorneys. "Your impact on the auto industry has been magnified many times over because of the trail you blazed for others," stated NACA's Executive Director, Will Ogburn. Burdge has represented thousands of consumers in Ohio, Kentucky and elsewhere since 1978 and is a frequent lecturer to national, state and local Bar Associations and Judicial organizations. Burdge is admitted to Ohio's state and federal courts, Kentucky's state courts, and Indiana's federal courts. Other court admissions are on a "pro hac" temporary, case by cases basis.