Fear grows at Ford, Workers worry more job cuts are on the way

The spirits of the already anxious engineers sitting in a Ford Motor Co. auditorium last week sank even lower as they listened to a Wall Street analyst tick off the company's mounting challenges and even suggest the Ford family eventually may have to give up some control to save the industrial icon.

The presentation at Ford's Conference and Events Center in Dearborn was the latest in a series of daylong offsite meetings designed to brief workers on Ford's business conditions and its plan for a turnaround.

But many workers are beginning to question whether anything can halt Ford's slide or bring an end to the painful cost-cutting. Only months after announcing a massive "way forward" restructuring, Ford is planning another round of deep cutbacks to be outlined in September.

Workers are bracing for the worst -- layoffs, benefits cuts, factory closures. In some quarters, fear and despair have replaced optimism and hope for a comeback. Rumors about the timing and severity of the cutbacks are rampant and distracting, workers say.


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webguy - 8/16/2006 1:59:07 PM

+1 Boost

"...and even suggest the Ford family eventually may have to give up some control to save the industrial icon."

Ding! Ding! Ding! We have a winner!

phantom330 - 8/16/2006 3:50:32 PM

+1 Boost

that is really sad, I feel bad for the families of people working there. For decades it was the pinnicle of the automobile industry, now due to design and cheap materials they are bordering on going down the tubes. Management is to blame for becoming complacent.

Sauceboy01 - 8/16/2006 7:39:19 PM

+1 Boost

Design good cars, and we will buy them...

Ford, you should really follow this advice!

courtstone - 8/17/2006 10:28:33 AM

+1 Boost

phantom330 - I agree, its not the big wigs that I care about, its the families of the hard blue collar workers that will suffer for the mistakes of Ford. Bill Ford and whomever are already filthy rich, they could careless about the fate of their employees.