End of a era.........

[MAD6Gun]

 Yesterday was my last day at work. After working over 20 years as a tech at a Pontiac/GMC dealer we lost our GM franchise (thank you Obama). In two week I start at another GM dealer. I will be working at a Chevy dealer this time.

 I told my service manager on monday. I gave him three weeks notice for two reasons. The First is we are short handed with one tech on vacation and another on leave for back surgery. The other reason was so I could reach my 21st anniversary on Nov 13th. On that date the company would have had to pay me three weeks vacation pay. Well to make a long story short the arshole Company General Manager decided he didnt need three weeks notice. One would be fine. So after 20 years of faithful service I left two weeks shy of my 21st. Needless to say I knew he would do that. (It is common practice for this jackars). Loyalty in this company (as others I am sure) is a one way street.

 So in two weeks I start a new job doing the same thing,working on GM cars for more money. Plus I dont have to work Saturdays anymore. So I lost out on the vacation pay plus I will have to pay for three months of health Insurance because the new place does not offer new Employees insurance for 3 months. Oh well. I am preaty sure I made the right discision. Time will tell. One bad thing is I only get one week paid vacation so riding next year may be limited....... There now it is Valk related.....

[R J]

Mark, look at it this way, sheet happens for a reason and da boy upstairs has something more important for you in mind.

Tell Shiela, err Twila, I said hello.    Look at it as a favor to you in the deal.

 

[Oss]

sorry you got shafted but glad you are already employed again

next time please dont give 3 week notice...especially if you have a gut feeling it will bite you on the ass

As a boss I have been given no notice more often than not, and I give lots of paid sick time and vacation

Its one reason why I am always auditioning a secretary.  maybe I will start a new round of auditions for new years

[fudgie]

Congrats, I think, at least on the new job. Where ya at? At least no Sat so riding should be good. As far as your insurance you should have a month left from the old job, you pay a month ahead so you may have it for a month at least.

[MAD6Gun]

 I am going to Summit City Chevrolet on the west side of Ft Wayne..

 Brian I was told my Insurance ran out the day I quit. That was yesterday. Oh they did offer me Cobra Insurance. But that is 500 bucks a month from what I hear. OUCH...And to top it off the sore throat I had last week came back today. So I may be visiting the doc monday Uninsured. this really sucks.....

[RDKLL]

Mark, hate to hear the news........but Im glad it ended happy for you. How have you been? Ride safe bro!

[Spirited-6]

 I was told my Insurance ran out the day I quit 

Better check on that. Most Co. pay in advance for a month and you have paid also.

Good luck on new job. 

[Valkpilot]

I am going to Summit City Chevrolet on the west side of Ft Wayne..

 Brian I was told my Insurance ran out the day I quit. That was yesterday. Oh they did offer me Cobra Insurance. But that is 500 bucks a month from what I hear. OUCH...And to top it off the sore throat I had last week came back today. So I may be visiting the doc monday Uninsured. this really sucks.....

You might re-consider not bridging your insurance from one company to the next.  It opens up the whole "pre-existing condition" thing.  If you have continuous coverage, they can't play that card.

[MarkT]

Good luck on the new job.

I would have waited until the day I expected to leave to give 2 weeks notice - and tell the new boss the truth - giving notice, they might release me immediately.  Reason being, many if not most companies nowadays, when they know you are leaving, want you to clear out your desk that day.  At least partly to prevent disgruntled employees from doing damage from within.  So what those companies do, is pay for the two weeks salary but tell you to go ahead and leave.  That's how I handled departing employees when I had staff reporting to me.  I know this doesn't help you now, but something for future reference - or for someone coming into your situation.

[TJ]

Good luck on the new job Mark...

[x]

Yesterday was my last day at work. After working over 20 years as a tech at a Pontiac/GMC dealer we lost our GM franchise (thank you Obama).

Maybe you should lay the blame where it belongs... on GM management that drove the company into bankruptcy with poor choices and lousy models, and the unions that sucked GM dry.
 
Folks like you amaze me.  You bitch about stimulus funds, then you bitch about the fact that your particular franchise wasn't saved.

[GreenLantern57]

That is what I paid for COBRA back in 2000.  Not a bad deal since it could have been 980. There is a government standard that says if you had coverage in (X) months going back, then the insurance company cannot deny a claim for pre-existing condition.  I put in the X because I cannot remember what the official number is.  Anyone in HR know?

[Jeff K]

OK, here's the deal

If you gave three weeks notice and they let you go early they HAVE to pay you for the three weeks. Unless they terminate you, they have to pay you to the end of your notice. I'd tell them they have to let you work, or pay you the money, or you will go to the NLRB and take it up with them. They can't make you quit early. And if they fire you they would need cause.


Cobra
You get cobra papers and you don't have to use them. You have the option to use it at any time within the next 90 days. If you have to use it you have to pay for the time that has passed, so if you have to use it on the 80th day you'd have to pay for the three months, but if you never use it it costs you nothing.

I had the same deal when switching companies, they had us wait till the 90 days passed.


You must keep your insurance current, if there is  more than a 90 day gap you run into the "preexisting condition" issue.

So just keep you cobra papers in case you have a dire emergency, but don't use them unless it is an extreme need, then it will cost you nothing.

And push the issue on pay they must pay you.

I do this all the time, this is not new to me. And in my line of work if a mechanic gives me notice and I want him gone I pay him for his notice time (because I HAVE to) and let him go.

[Jeff K]

Yesterday was my last day at work. After working over 20 years as a tech at a Pontiac/GMC dealer we lost our GM franchise (thank you Obama).

Maybe you should lay the blame where it belongs... on GM management that drove the company into bankruptcy with poor choices and lousy models, and the unions that sucked GM dry.
 
Folks like you amaze me.  You bitch about stimulus funds, then you bitch about the fact that your particular franchise wasn't saved.

Wow! I am pleasantly surprised. Because that is exactly the way I see it also. I still think they should have let them file for bankruptcy and let them reorganize they way any other company would have done.

[fudgie]

Lousey models? Like what?

[x]

Lousey models? Like what?

The list is long.  American consumers voted with their $$.  GM's market share kept dropping because other manufacturer's made more attractive cars and trucks... better reliability, too.  Or destroying brand image by putting common engines and chassis into different brands so that there was nothing to distinguish them anymore.

[fudgie]

Alot of auto manu use the same chassie and engine in different models, just as in motorcycles. Ford does it, GM does it, not sure about dodge. I am a Chevy/GM man and thats all I ever owned and will. They have been real reliable for us as far as the family. Grandpa bought a 78 3/4 ton and sold it in 1994 after buying another 3/4 ton. 250K+ miles with very little engine work. Same for dads 98 Z-71. He had a water pump replaced and a intake spot welded. My 04 Z-71 has only had left wheel bearing and water pump replaced. 
After running Ford diesels for 12 yrs at work we are so glad we are now going Chevy.

Mine sure has a pretty front end, look distingushed to me.   

[Jess Tolbirt]

if you have them up there go to wallgreens,, minute clinic,,,,

[9Ball]

don't let your insurance gap by 90 days.

You will regret not spending the $1500 that COBRA will cost you.  BTW, $500/month is cheap if that is all it will cost.

[MCRIDER]

Yesterday was my last day at work. After working over 20 years as a tech at a Pontiac/GMC dealer we lost our GM franchise (thank you Obama).

Maybe you should lay the blame where it belongs... on GM management that drove the company into bankruptcy with poor choices and lousy models, and the unions that sucked GM dry.
 
Folks like you amaze me.  You bitch about stimulus funds, then you bitch about the fact that your particular franchise wasn't saved.

Leave it to some jerk on this board to turn a hardship situation post into another one of your anti-American company rants.  Class act there strong eagle.  You'll get yours in the end.  Everything get equaled out.

[x]

Yesterday was my last day at work. After working over 20 years as a tech at a Pontiac/GMC dealer we lost our GM franchise (thank you Obama).

Maybe you should lay the blame where it belongs... on GM management that drove the company into bankruptcy with poor choices and lousy models, and the unions that sucked GM dry.
 
Folks like you amaze me.  You bitch about stimulus funds, then you bitch about the fact that your particular franchise wasn't saved.

Leave it to some jerk on this board to turn a hardship situation post into another one of your anti-American company rants.  Class act there strong eagle.  You'll get yours in the end.  Everything get equaled out.

You are amazing.  "Anti-American company rant"? What nonsense is this, sonny?  Can't you read for meaning?  OP says the closure of his franchise was due to Obama.  I say he is wrong.  You contribute what... ignorant nonsense.  Speaking of class acts... you aint one.

[Lil D]

Mark,

You are very fortunate to have lined another job up -- I'm glad it worked out for you.  So many here in the US have not been that fortunate... good luck with the new job...

[solo1]

Normally I don't reply to a thread in which Wayne has posted but I will this time because Mark is my son.

I agree partially with Wayne (Strong Eagle).  I too, believe that the unions and weak management led, in general, to the problems that we have with the American automotive industry.  I also believe that this has been coming a long time, due, for one thing to the fact that, the Big Three did not adopt a quality control process originating in the late forties by Dr. Deming and subsequently adopted by Toyoda.

I will not go into the political process that took us one step farther as I do not want this to deteriorate into a political thread.

However, Mark is my son and he was faithful to his previous employer and we all should be respectful of his honest post here and refrain from interjecting inappropriate adjectives here.

Thanks for everyone here that showed empathy for Mark with good suggestions and wishes.

Wayne, solo1

[JimL]

Lousey models? Like what?

The list is long.  American consumers voted with their $$.  GM's market share kept dropping because other manufacturer's made more attractive cars and trucks... better reliability, too.  Or destroying brand image by putting common engines and chassis into different brands so that there was nothing to distinguish them anymore.

Damn it...I hate to start off a perfectly nice sunny Sunday morning by having to agree with SE on ideology......but he is right on point!  American consumers voted with their $$. 

I hope GM is able to come back to its glory days and protect American jobs.....I also want to see the US government out of private industry and playing the role of picking winners and losers.  That is the role of a free market.

Back to the original topic....Mark I am happy that you have moved on to hopefully a better company.  It is not surprising considering the number of years of experience that you have behind you.  I have no doubt that you will be a big asset to your new employer!  A win-win for both of you.

[doubletee]

Mark,

Congrats on the new gig! Sorry the old one went away. Change is normally not easy.

JeffK is right about the 90-day COBRA thing. You can sign up for it anytime within the 90-day period and it becomes retroactive. Of course, you have to pay the retroactive premiums for month(s) that have passed, but it still works to bridge to another coverage.

I don't know that I agree with JeffK about the termination thing. Indiana is an "at will" state. Either side can terminate employment for basically no reason. Unless there is discrimination proven, it'll be tough to make the employer pay anything. The fact that you gave notice might be the wild card in the situation. I'm not sure how the laws handle that situation.

[MAD6Gun]

 I want to thank everyone for there support in the changing time for me. Everyone EXCEPT Eagle. Thanks for the comments Wayne,there were not welcome.

I think if it was not for Obama Demanding GM fire there CEO and "kill" Pontiac,HUMMER,Saturn and Saab I would still be working at my previos dealer. That is my Opinion and if you dont like it then Tuff chit. You sit on your high horse in another country with your "supperior Intellect" looking down on those that don't agree with you and call them names and such. Do me a favor,go away and leave my thread alone....You jackwagon......

[Slick]

I want to thank everyone for there support in the changing time for me. Everyone EXCEPT Eagle. Thanks for the comments Wayne,there were not welcome.

I think if it was not for Obama Demanding GM fire there CEO and "kill" Pontiac,HUMMER,Saturn and Saab I would still be working at my previos dealer. That is my Opinion and if you dont like it then Tuff chit. You sit on your high horse in another country with your "supperior Intellect" looking down on those that don't agree with you and call them names and such. Do me a favor,go away and leave my thread alone....You jackwagon......



BRAVO !!!!! and good luck in the new gig

[Jeff K]

Mark,

Congrats on the new gig! Sorry the old one went away. Change is normally not easy.

JeffK is right about the 90-day COBRA thing. You can sign up for it anytime within the 90-day period and it becomes retroactive. Of course, you have to pay the retroactive premiums for month(s) that have passed, but it still works to bridge to another coverage.

I don't know that I agree with JeffK about the termination thing. Indiana is an "at will" state. Either side can terminate employment for basically no reason. Unless there is discrimination proven, it'll be tough to make the employer pay anything. The fact that you gave notice might be the wild card in the situation. I'm not sure how the laws handle that situation.

Hmm? Maybe you are correct about the "at will" thing. I've been in a lot of states and I've never seen anyone get away with it before. Our HR department wouldn't allow us to do it I'm 100% sure of that. They would pay them for the two weeks, and let them go.

[RoadKill]

Mark....Have toolbox,WILL travel!  You are highly skilled labor! you ALWAYS will have a job because you can "FIX STUFF" and do it with a knowledge that surpasses the rest. YOUR worst case scenario is to be out of your comfort zone. Ford/Mazda or Kia or Volvo is just a side step and a small adjustment for you. Dont forget,YOU ARE A TECHNICIAN ! That says ALOT !   

[solo1]

I am proud to say that Mark is my son.  He is committed to being a tech.

That came home to me yesterday when he hired a flatbed wrecker to bring home his tool box.  A BIG Mac tool box that weighs probably over a ton with his tools inside.  All bought over the years with his own money, probably 20k in tools. How many in the work force, working for others, in any profession, can claim that?

[GreenLantern57]

Mark, glad you were able to get a new job so soon.  Good mechanincs are hard to find and I hope your new employer sees that.

Being laid off hurts, glad you had this board to do some venting.

Solo1 looks like you have a good one there! Congrtats dad!

[Walküre]

The other reason was so I could reach my 21st anniversary on Nov 13th. On that date the company would have had to pay me three weeks vacation pay.

Bad things happen to good people...

Not so sure you would have gotten your 3 weeks vacation - very similar situation happened to me, but possibly a little worse - worked for Wabash National Trailer, in Lafayette, IN. At 4 years, we received 2 weeks vacation, instead of one. I was in Maintenance. Every July 4th, the plant was shut down for a week, but the company paid the vacation pay, the week before shutdown, so everyone would have money for the week - in other words, everyone HAD to take vacation that week. Except, of course, Maintenance - we worked 12 - 14 hours a day, for 7 days straight, rebuilding assembly lines, and equipment, and making new lines, and moving lines, etc, etc, etc. So, everyone got Independence day off, EXCEPT us!

I went over 4 years, in March, so had "earned" my 2 weeks vacation. I left the company, for my present job, on May 30th. When I got paid, no vacation pay! I demanded to know why, and was told "you won't be here on July 4th! We take care of OUR people, who WILL be here!". Told them that was wrong, they told me "Go ahead, and sue us! It will cost 10 times what you'd get...". Which was probably true. 16 1/2 years ago, and STILL haven't forgotten it.

So, everything might be working out - they might not have paid you, and you might not have had the opportunity to go to work for the new place.

[Karen]

Being terminated sux, but your skills and honesty will see you through. My brother worked for GM in Quality, and for several years, he told me he was paid to come in to work (as were the others in his Union shop), but not look at anything, because it cost GM too much money to fix the problems they found. Looks like that (among other things) is now costing all of us, but some like you, Mark, more than others. The guys here are right about the COBRA. I trust your new place will return your loyalty, it's a tough job market right now, best of luck to you.

[Robert]

Ive always found that dealers dont give their employees a fair shake. So Mark the fact that you were there that long speaks well of you. Not to mention to be able to make your time also takes some doing especially when things are slow. Since you have been a tech for that long and are going to Chevy there is always a learning curve but soon you will have no problem. Hey its always nice to know whats wrong with the car and how to fix it from experience. The way things are going the more you know about different cars the more valuable you are. I must say I did insult a guy with a Bentley and told him how do you like your Audi. So sharing parts is common even among foreign lines. Especially upsetting when you see a Ford part number on say a Aston Martin. Or open the hood on a Land Rover and see BMW or Jaguar or Land Rover engines. I also agree that the management of American car companies was bad and got what they deserved and this doesn't go for the employees nor for Ford who survived and is actually on the rebound. GM and the US has some of the best technology available and could have well out done any foreign manufacturer.

[x]

Normally I don't reply to a thread in which Wayne has posted but I will this time because Mark is my son.

I agree partially with Wayne (Strong Eagle).  I too, believe that the unions and weak management led, in general, to the problems that we have with the American automotive industry.  I also believe that this has been coming a long time, due, for one thing to the fact that, the Big Three did not adopt a quality control process originating in the late forties by Dr. Deming and subsequently adopted by Toyoda.

I will not go into the political process that took us one step farther as I do not want this to deteriorate into a political thread.

However, Mark is my son and he was faithful to his previous employer and we all should be respectful of his honest post here and refrain from interjecting inappropriate adjectives here.

Thanks for everyone here that showed empathy for Mark with good suggestions and wishes.

Wayne, solo1

Your son is fortunate.  He is in a job that cannot be sent overseas.  Service jobs and face to face sales jobs cannot be exported.  Until all of us are willing to pay the price to really 'buy American' this won't stop.  How long could you actually stay out of a Walmart and buy the more expensive American made product?

Wayne, I hope you know that there is nothing personal in my comments.  The truth of the matter needs to be spoken.

Blessings.

[solo1]

Yes, Wayne, I understand especially some parts that I agreed with you.  As I mentioned in my post, this started many years ago when quality and reliability wasn't a concern.  That is the reason why I switched to 'foreign' cars' in 1983.  I, and my family, had enough problems with our Detroit cars.  I won't mention the brand but they made the news lately with 'liquid lunches'

Since then, GM and especially Ford have come a long way in quality and reliability to compete with Toyota, Honda, Mazda, and Hyundai.  As for Ford, they probably realized that their Pinto wasn't very competitive (I had one of those too, LOL.).  Take that back, it was competitive with the GM Vega. Again, LOL.

By the way, the thread has morphed somewhat from Mark's original post. Two things.   He mentioned that he is going to work for a Chevrolet dealer. He has a big investment in time and tools in the GM marque.  The other is that he resigned, he was not fired.  He had the Chevy offer before he quit.  He left before that dealer put into affect 'cost cutting measures' like more hours, same pay and maybe reduced work force.

[Dogg]

well, its a good move since they lost their franchise mark. congrats. the auto industry isnt what it used to be...we both know that. but, You are still close to home, still in a gm dealer and even tho you lost seniority, you wont be the new kid on the block for long. no worries. Glad it worked out for you

[Stude]

 Great news on landing another job... I hope you take Jeff K. advise. Hate to see anyone leave money
on the table... your old boss is banking on the fact you won't ask for the rest of your money.

[Stude]

 


 You see idiots everywhere. They can be those neighbors that you hate or the person in front of you at the check-out line arguing over expired coupons. With all the idiots that annoy you, eventually you have to wonder if you're an idiot, too


.........................................Instructions.........................................................
1
 Ask your friends if they think you're smart. If they start laughing hysterically, that's a sign that you
  may be an idiot. Either that or your friends are idiots themselves and are easily amused.

2
 Pay attention to how you act during a conversation. If you nod your head in agreement even though you don't understand a word the other person is saying, this could be another sign. When someone makes a joke, do you get why it's funny or do you have to wait for other people to laugh and join in?

3
 Look at your bookshelf. Is it full of guides for idiots? Having a few of these is fine, but if you need one for everything you do, the title might be true. Especially for things most people would consider to be basic tasks.

4
 Pay attention to yourself when you drive. If people often honk at you, you may not be driving correctly. If you wait to signal until after you've already changed lanes or turned, you need to study the driving manual a little closer. The same holds true if you drive down a one-way street going the wrong way but think that it's okay because you aren't driving both ways

YES... S.E. you're an idiot

[NCGhostrider]

You know, in the early 80's I switched to japanese cars...they got better gas mileage and were more dependable.   I drove german cars in the 90's because I could afford them, now in the 2000's I came back to the United States made cars.   My buick gets in the 30's has a life expectancy of 200k miles and is very comfortable (styling and profiling) as my kids say...    I have a 1/2 ton dodge pickup that gets as good gas mileage as some smaller vehicles.  It has a hemi and keeps me sane when I can't ride the bike.  There are a few other vehicles that I won't detail here, but my American made vehicles run neck and neck with the foreign stuff, and in many cases are much more dependable in harsh environments.

That being said, I am not sure the bailouts were the way to go, but I do not like government interference in private sector anything.  LIke others said, the public voted with their dollars, but to some extent, there were not dollars to spend.

I hate that you lost your job, but it sounds like it worked out ok! 


OK>>   So gotta tell you about the Buick...  my family loves it when we look at each other and say "quick fat man...to the family car!"