Perhaps those Ford workers will attend the Community College

[The_Casual_Observer]

and get jobs in criminal justice, physical therapy and sports medicine, financial advice, or become six sigma "black belts". The future is bright!

[Wapsie B]

1. They've just been given a great "opportunity" to change and move forward.

God I sound like the friggin Chamber of Commerce lackeys. :puke:

[leftstreet]

2. Scott McLellan -"the job market is HOT!"

http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2006/01/20060124-3.html#a

MR. McCLELLAN: Well, I think one important aspect to keep in mind when looking at this issue is that the job market is hot. There are a number of available jobs, and we need to make sure we're doing everything we can to assist workers who are in transition to find new jobs. And that's what we do. We are always concerned when there are job dislocations. We live in a changing economy, and there is a safety net that we have in place to help workers and families when there are dislocations like the one that you bring up.

[OrangeCountyDemocrat]

3. We're Going To Relocate 'Em To India

It might be a little more rustic than Detroit, but they'll adjust. The job market is really improved over there.

[purduejake]

4. Perhaps they share some of the blame.

I truly appreciate the protections unions have brought to workers, but I know first-hand that places with strong unions have trouble adapting. Right now the airline I work for is fighting the union over counseling employees who don't show up to work on time or are unable to be located for an hour or less. We're bankrupt and the union doesn't see a problem with aircraft waiting at the gate for somebody to guide them in so the passengers can get off and the turbines (which burn ~3000 lbs of fuel an hour) can be shut down. I was grieved today for TALKING with an employee who was late for an inbound aircraft after an hour and a half of down-time. This behavior was permitted in the past (shame on the prior management), and it is killing us now.

on edit: The person was being paid over $30 an hour. Seems like a job worth working hard for, even after pay cuts.

[Bozita]

5. the financial advice part scares the hell out of me

I'm a financial advisor. You can be too.

And ... whose money are they going to manage?

Perhaps Walmart workers contribuiting to their personal health savings accounts?

This whole thing is just too damned sad.