Approximately 20,000 out of 139,000 residents of the city are currently working in the automotive industry, The Detroit News wrote citing local officials. In addition, 3,000 workers are employees by suppling companies and part manufacturers in the region. This means that every single wage cut could affect a large part of the residents, including their families and, indirectly, the city, Waren authorities explained.
"Fifteen percent of our city general fund and 15 percent of our city water and sewer budget comes from Chrysler and GM taxes. Any disruption of these funds would most certainly result in layoffs of public safety personnel,”Warren Mayor Jim Fouts was quoted as saying by The Detroit news at the "Stand Up for American Workers and Products Rally" at Warren City Hall.
Obviously, local Detroit 3 workers explained that such wage and benefit cut would seriously affect their families, to say nothing about any potential job cut prepared by American automakers.
"I bring home about $900 a week. I got two kids and one is going to head off to college next year. I've got a mortgage payment. I'm not ashamed to cash my check; I tell you what, I work my butt off,” Ford Motor Co. assembly line worker Brian Pannebaker, 49-year-old, told the aforementioned source.
On the other hand, Ford Motor Company explains that everything goes according to the plan and, in case things remain on the same ascending trend, they should be back in business as soon as 2011. "It basically assumes the contract we have with the UAW. Clearly, if some of those elements change, it will be a benefit to the business,” Ford Americas President Mark Fields told Wall Street analysts.
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