GM has turned off the heat on all assembly plant floors and has shut down voice mail at all assembly plants or is in the process of doing so. Next they will be making you turn in your old pencil before they will give you a new one.

but GME can continue with the two cocktail lunches and ordering pencils by the carton

Sad, really. No one really wants to think about how bad our economy has really become....

Chris

but GME can continue with the two cocktail lunches and ordering pencils by the carton

This is GME, not AIG.

how does turning off voicemail save on expense?

how does turning off voicemail save on expense?

Reduces wear on phones with people not hitting excessive buttons to check messages?

how does turning off voicemail save on expense?

Don't know, I tried to get 3 GMNA plants today, phones ring then go to busy if no one answers, when I finally got through to someone and asked, I was told GMNA is shutting down voicemail in all the assembly plants in North America.

Maybe it's a costly option they can exclude with the telephone company?

People still use pencils?

People still use pencils?

Apparently GMNA white collar workers do, because they have to write down phone messages.

Apparently GMNA white collar workers do, because they have to write down phone messages.

I can't remember the last time I used one...many years ago...I use pens when I have to write something not on a computer or phone.

I have a couple mechanical pencils for sketching cars... (does not happen often)

and there's an old dusty #2 sitting in my desk at work, even though I use a blue

ballpoint or a black sharpie for most everything.

I have a couple mechanical pencils for sketching cars... (does not happen often)

and there's an old dusty #2 sitting in my desk at work, even though I use a blue

ballpoint or a black sharpie for most everything.

Ahh, yes...alas, I haven't sketched cars since college probably... something I should try again.

We are all in this together. I'd work without heat or AC to save my job/company.

This is what happens when you spend several hundred million dollars to develop a global platform and then only use it on four models globally.

This is what happens when you spend lots of money to design innovatively styled A-segment cars and are caught so off guard by people actually wanting them it takes you 5 years to bring them to market.

This is what happens when you take the good stuff from other markets and "dumb" it down for American consumption.

This is what happens when you close legacy brands that sold more cars than 3 newer "boutique" brands combined.

This is getting disturbing... I'm starting to get concerned about bankruptcy... really concerned.

Umm..you guys have not seen anything yet....

It's going to get worst.

This is getting disturbing... I'm starting to get concerned about bankruptcy... really concerned.

I would be..

A coupe of important companies report earnings next week-I would expect more massive layoffs....

Everybody, everywhere, is doing anything they can just to save a few pennies... even stable, solid companies companies are doing it... we haven't hit the bottom of this crisis yet and I think the expectation is for 2009 and 2010 to be really rough years...

This is what happens when you spend several hundred million dollars to develop a global platform and then only use it on four models globally.

This is what happens when you spend lots of money to design innovatively styled A-segment cars and are caught so off guard by people actually wanting them it takes you 5 years to bring them to market.

This is what happens when you take the good stuff from other markets and "dumb" it down for American consumption.

This is what happens when you close legacy brands that sold more cars than 3 newer "boutique" brands combined.

So very well said........

Everybody, everywhere, is doing anything they can just to save a few pennies... even stable, solid companies companies are doing it... we haven't hit the bottom of this crisis yet and I think the expectation is for 2009 and 2010 to be really rough years...

Even though we're in a hiring freeze, my employer recently gave employees a look at their 4th quarter plan, which include more than double the advertising as last year and millions in in-store displays. Apparently out business model is something along the lines of "it takes money to make money even when people dont have money to spend."