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Honda offering local workers incentives to quit (Ohio)
The Columbus Dispatch ^ | March 31, 2009 | Dan Gearino

Posted on 03/31/2009 2:54:29 PM PDT by buccaneer81

Honda offering local workers incentives to quit Other cost-cutting measures planned; 13 days of production to be cut Tuesday, March 31, 2009 5:19 PM By Dan Gearino THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

For the first time, Honda is offering Ohio employees incentives to resign.

The move, which continues the company's tradition of avoiding layoffs, is part of a wide-ranging set of cost-saving measures announced today.

"Regardless of job title or level within our organization, each Honda associate will share the responsibility of doing what we must to remain competitive," said spokesman Ron Lietzke.

Among the other moves:

• Honda will cut 13 production days from May to July, reducing the number of vehicles made in North America by about 62,000. This production cut is different from past cuts in that employees will need to take vacation time or receive no pay for at least some of 13 cancelled work days. Previously, employees had the option to report for non-production duties.

• Employees who are already eligible to retire will be offered incentives to do so.

• Employee bonuses will be sharply reduced and perhaps eliminated, leading to a reduction in income of up to several thousand dollars for production employees.

• Managers' salaries will be cut, with top managers facing the largest reductions.

At the same time, the company has decided not to cut hourly pay for production employees.

Honda declined to say how many employees it hopes will accept the buyout offer or how much money it hopes to save. The company also declined to give details about the incentives it will give to employees who wish to resign or retire.

"It's really yet another reflection of the real challenge the industry is facing," said Ed Kim, director of industry analysis for AutoPacific, a research firm based in Tustin, Calif. "The spotlight is obviously on GM and Chrysler, but everybody is struggling right now."

He said buyouts go against Honda's corporate culture, which views employees as long-term partners. He said the decision to reduce employees in this way probably "a last resort."

Honda previously cut production of 175,000 vehicles in North America for the fiscal year that ends this month, which is about 12 percent of output for those plants.

The company has assembly plants in Marysville and East Liberty, along with an engine plant in Anna and a transmission plant in Russells Point, with a total Ohio work force of about 14,000.


TOPICS: Business/Economy; News/Current Events; US: Ohio
KEYWORDS: autoindustry; columbus; cuts; honda
This is unprecedented in the 27 years Ohio has operated in Ohio.
1 posted on 03/31/2009 2:54:29 PM PDT by buccaneer81
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To: TonyRo76; Las Vegas Dave

Ohio ping.


2 posted on 03/31/2009 2:55:17 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: buccaneer81

If I understand Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and his Eminence correctly that means that Honda is not building the cars Americans want.


3 posted on 03/31/2009 2:57:44 PM PDT by redangus
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To: redangus

They’ll spin it that way, no doubt.


4 posted on 03/31/2009 2:58:53 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: redangus

I bought one this year.....WOW,

Great car and yes folks they care. Thank you to the guys who built it.

I also own a Caddy....WOW, I feel like a guy who voted for “hope” on that one.


5 posted on 03/31/2009 3:13:13 PM PDT by colonialhk (Harry and Nancy are our best moron allies)
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To: buccaneer81
This is unprecedented in the 27 years Ohio has operated in Ohio.

Ohio has been in Ohio only 27 years. Who knew?

6 posted on 03/31/2009 3:51:57 PM PDT by Mind-numbed Robot (Not all that needs to be done needs to be done by the government)
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To: buccaneer81
Honda just sold their F1 team too, for ONE POUND... BUT!!! you had to be able to show you could campaign the team all year first.
7 posted on 03/31/2009 3:58:00 PM PDT by Chode (American Hedonist - Obama is basically Jim Jones with a teleprompter)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

Yikes.


8 posted on 03/31/2009 4:05:29 PM PDT by buccaneer81 (Bob Taft has soiled the family name for the next century.)
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To: Mind-numbed Robot

we are clocking Ohio AFTER THE RIVER BURNED..!!!

( You have to have come from Ohio or live there to get THAT one..ha.)


9 posted on 03/31/2009 4:12:27 PM PDT by Recovering Ex-hippie (It's time for the grown ups !)
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To: buccaneer81; ADemocratNoMore; Akron Al; arbee4bush; agrace; ATOMIC_PUNK; Badeye; Bikers4Bush; ...

Ohio Pings!

To be added to the Ohio Ping List, please freepmail (works best)
both TonyRo76 and LasVegasDave.

10 posted on 04/01/2009 1:12:33 AM PDT by Las Vegas Dave ("Thou shalt not speak ill of any fellow Republican." - Ronald Reagan)
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To: Las Vegas Dave

Its too bad that GM & Chrysler could not of done the same thing.


11 posted on 04/01/2009 5:38:50 AM PDT by boxerblues (Party like its 1773)
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To: boxerblues

If you want your company to survive and to keep your job, fight unionizers where ever you find them.


12 posted on 04/01/2009 8:32:01 AM PDT by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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To: Pontiac

Where I work our union membership is down to less than 20 people from a high of about 1800 10-12 years ago. We were bought out by an overseas company, first thing they did was wipe out the union.

The company even now is doing good, we got a bonus for the first time this year


13 posted on 04/01/2009 8:48:20 AM PDT by boxerblues (Party like its 1773)
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To: boxerblues
CONGRADULATIONS on your bonus.

Unions first job is create inefficiency (restrictive job rules) to increase membership.

Second job is protecting the lazy and incompetent worker to maintain membership.

All of this increases cost to the employer which of course makes the employer less competitive.

Unions had there purpose and there day but their day is past. They have sown the seeds of their own destruction. I only hope that they have not destroyed us all.

14 posted on 04/01/2009 10:55:51 AM PDT by Pontiac (Your message here.)
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To: buccaneer81
"This is unprecedented in the 27 years Ohio has operated in Ohio. "

Will Ohio go back to operating in MI now?

15 posted on 04/01/2009 10:57:26 AM PDT by spunkets
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To: spunkets

Greetings spunkets:

Perhaps we can make Michigan take Toledo back? Funny thing, in hindsight, I guess Michigan really did win the Toledo War. Michigan got the U.P., and Ohio got stuck with Toledo...

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toledo_War

Cheers,
OLA


16 posted on 04/01/2009 1:01:17 PM PDT by OneLoyalAmerican (Palin 2012)
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To: OneLoyalAmerican

LOL, thanks. ...Good article.


17 posted on 04/01/2009 3:03:03 PM PDT by spunkets
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To: OneLoyalAmerican
If we ever go to war with Michigan again, we'll simply appoint Jim Tressel the CinC of the Ohio National Guard.

We'll let them keep Detriot.

18 posted on 04/01/2009 5:42:17 PM PDT by E Rocc (One Big Assed Mistake, America.)
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