Chrysler Workers Suspended
"We just can't, as a team, let part of our team behave that way, because they'll spoil it for everyone." -- Scott Gaberding, Chrysler Vice President.
Chrysler says it's suspended fifteen workers featured in an embarrasing video, and they will be disciplined. Channel two cameras caught the workers on video drinking beer, and possibly smoking marijuana on their lunch break at a park near the Jefferson North Plant on Detroit's east side.
In a statement issued late Thursday evening, Chrysler indicated that the company plans to move quickly.
"From the Fox 2 story on Chrysler Group's Jefferson North Assembly Plant, the Company was able to identify all 15 employees captured on video" the statement read. "Within 36 hours of learning about this matter, each one of the employees was suspended indefinitely without pay. While the evidence seems conclusive, the Company needs to act in accordance with corporate protocol before further action is taken. We expect that by Monday, each of these cases will be dispositioned."
The workers were stopped by Chrysler security as they arrived at the plant Thursday morning, partly for their own protection.
"In general, the workforce at our Jefferson North Plant is not very happy about this event at all," said Scott Gaberding, Chrysler's senior vice president of manufacturing. "We didn't feel it would be good for these individuals to be wandering around in the plant. So, we worked to speak with them before they got out into the plant."
Podcast
(Chrysler's Scott Gaberding speaks with WWJ's Jeff Gilbert)
Gaberding told WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert that most Chrysler workers were offended by what happened. But, the company will let workers know that bad behavior on the part of a few can make things bad for everybody.
"We are conducting town hall meetings on both shifts at Jefferson North, and letting everyone see the video--in case somebody didn't see it--just to drive home the point."
The Jeep Grand Cherokee, built at Jefferson North Assembly, has been widely praised. Chrysler workers say they hope the bad publicity doesn't obscure the positive things that are happening at the company.
"That's bad for all of us, period," said Chrysler worker Christian Mitchell. "We already in the toilet with our reputation, as it is, and climbing out."
Mitchell, and other Chrysler assembly workers speaking with WWJ's Ron Dewey outside the Warren Stamping Plant. Most telling WWJ that they feel that the workers in this case stepped over the line.
"I don't feel sorry for them, they brought it on themselves."
The story was broken by WJBK/Channel 2, which said it received a tip from a plant worker and followed about a dozen men for 10 days this month during their late morning, half-hour lunch break. It filmed them going to a convenience store to buy alcohol and taking it to a nearby park to drink and smoke.
United Auto Workers President Bob King, in an email, telling WWJ that the UAW strongly opposes the use of alcohol or controlled substances on the job.
"The employees involved in this situation do not represent the vast majority of workers at Chrysler who do a great job making high quality vehicles in some of the most productive manufacturing facilities in the United States,'' said King.
This comes as Chrysler has been through three owners and a trip through bankruptcy in recent years. Chrysler is now close to breaking even...and is actually making money on its core automaking operations.
As Chrysler works to launch more than a dozen new or refreshed products, manufacturing vice president Gaberding hoping to get past this, and get on with the process of turning the company around
"We've been through a lot at Chrysler, and I think that the people who are here are proud of what the new company is doing."
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