I have always been aware of GM and its work force issues. My father has worked at GM for my entire life. The ups and downs are not new. My Dad even commented that he never felt like he had a secure job the entire time he has worked there (over 25 years).
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I personally have a great appreciation for GM. On a personal level, GM has provided my father a job which allowed him to provide for his family. On a larger leve, GM has meant a lot to Janesville and surrounding communities. Sometimes I think that people do not realize the total economic impact that GM makes on the surrounding area. GM has provided jobs and good benefits to a large number of people and GM's existence has brought about other business opportunities as well. Not only has this created a number of business as a direct result of its opperations, but it has also created a lot of indirect business activity. The GM workers' wages get filtered back into the community. GM workers spend their checks in grocery stores, at the mall, and on all of the other goods and services offered in the surrounding areas.
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I read the negative comments that have been posted. The negative comments about GM workers and their benefits go back as far as I can remember as well. One thing I always sense when reading or hearing these comments is jealousy. I wish people who have this sense of bitterness toward GM would get over their issues with the manufacturer. The people that work at GM work very hard. They deserve the benefits they get. If you are not getting the same benefits at your job, that is not at any fault of the GM workers. Instead of dogging the GM workers and their benefits, be thankful for the contribution that they have made to the community. Appreciate what such a large employer means to the community.

according to the US commerce Dept. each job loss effects 26 other people directly or indirectly ie the waitress, the cook, paper boy, cable guy, the stocker in the supermarket etc. so if my math is correct 19500 jobs in Rock COUNTY will be affected. That would be the equilvent of half of the CITY OF Beloit or 1/3 of the City of Janesville being unemployed. Where will the money to pay for the 70 million to refurbish parker/Craig come from, The 56 Miilion for a new Jail? all the other capital improvement projects? think about it.

Both my first and second homes were purchase with the wages I’ve made with Lear Corp. Moreover, my wedding and my honeymoon were paid for with Lear wages. In addition, the trip back east to attend my father’s funeral was paid for with Lear wages. Nearly anything good or bad I’ve had to encounter in the last twelve years was paid for with Lear wages.
These jobs are the middle class and soon to be once middle class in Janesville. The 750 jobs at GM are only the tip of the iceberg. Each company that supplies GM will also have to lay off a second shift or reduce staff. In addition, many restaurants, bars, and services will also face the same consequence. Many of these are good paying jobs or small business owners. Consequently, thousands of people will be directly or indirectly affected by this move by GM. This doesn’t mean that Janesville will be a ghost town. Nevertheless, it will have to adjust to a lower wage base, which could result in many other people, small businesses, and retail companies moving elsewhere. Moreover, charitable organizations will also be affected.
I hold no ill feeling towards Lear. Sure there have been days I’ve complained or wished I was someplace else. Very few people grow up dreaming about a job at a factory. However, we all dream about making an honest living and enjoying our lives. That is what Lear has enabled me to do for twelve years. Sure we make great money and have great benefits and some may say we’re getting what we deserve. However, that is exactly what makes losing a job like this even harder then just any other job. When someone considers that it could take up to a decade of schooling, moving from town to town or advancing within a company to get back to this standard of living for some of us is not a comforting thought for anyone, especially someone who’s 30-50 years old. Some are decades removed from any serious schooling. For many of us, we’ve spent more awake time working, talking, and joking with these people then our own family members. Sure, there are days your hands don’t work the way they should or you hate the person next to you, but many of us wouldn’t trade it for the world. There is something to be said for punching in, doing a good days work, and then going home to a family you can afford to support.
For those who don’t seem to care now, they will most likely look back on their days at GM, Lear, and the other suppliers affected by this as some of the best days of their lives. For those who already care, they go to work these last few weeks with a lump in their throats and watch as hundreds of worried faces pass them by at work. There aren’t enough jobs in the paper or openings at Blackhawk Technical College to handle us all. We may just be simple factory workers, but we’re smart enough to know we have a long road ahead of us and unfortunately there will be a few less trucks made from GM Janesville driving on it.

Amen.