From what I've been told BMW keeps a certain amount workers on perpetual contract status so they can be laid off when production is reduced. It is what it is. In any case I misspoke about the location. It occurred in Germany not the SC plant. In 2008 positions vacated were replaced with contract employees later on.
Its all good and hope you know we are just having a friendly conversation. Hard to convey that in a forum sometimes.
1. Yes and No. Yes BMW Greer/ Greenville/ Spartanburg always has workers on contract. They are not BMW employees, the actual employer is a huge recruiting company (MAU) working for BMW.
BMW demands for employees is tremendous on an incredible scale and a company (MAU) handles recruiting for them. Once the recruiting company hires an employee, that employee is now working for the recruiter MAU, paid by the recruiter and offered medical benefits from the recruiter that are similar to BMW benefits but in no way does BMW pay that worker, they are on contract working in a BMW facility.
The demands so high for workers that the recruiter lets the person who takes the contract worker position know that if they prove themselves to be reliable good worker BMW typically will make them a permanent employee within 1 to 2 years.
Typically its a year but can take up to two years, still good pay and benefits with the recruiting company. (Within one year my son was made a permanent employee.)
So I guess you could say this leads to a perpetual amount of contract workers working in BMW plants but I think due to the perpetual, NEVER ENDING hiring of employees.
Im amazed at the stuff my son sends me from the contract company hiring and recruiting efforts. IN 2008 I think they were 5000 + employees. Today they are 8000 + employees. They just keep expanding and expanding, hiring never stops and one must keep in mind people leave jobs as well, whether retiring or other personal reasons. Anyway, that is where maybe the perpetual thing comes from and I would assume yes to some degree some positions might be temp positions but if your a good worker, there will be a position for you. They struggle to stay staffed. At will my son can work overtime ANY time he wants but is never pressured.
(ill double check what I just with my son but we are pretty close and I sort of know the system to be sure of all this above)
2. Ahh .. (by the way Im only posting this stuff because business stuff my whole life fascinates me)
Ok, Germany, my knowledge is more limited (by the way, my son was in Germany just last year touring the country and plant)
From what I understand as he told me and my memory of it, German unions are not ANYTHING like USA unions or the way we as Americans perceive unions to be.
They actually WORK WITH THE COMPANY (imagine that) for the betterment of the company so all can profit, including the company!
*LOL* Now isnt that a concept? So I cant say you are wrong on 2008 in Germany during the world Financial crisis but I can say there most likely is a very good explanation as they are union workers in German BMW plants but not the typical way we perceive unions in the USA. They deal with fairness on all sides, not a one way street so I can only assume back in 2008 their was a reason for what you are posting and most likely nothing like we in the USA perceive it to be.
I gotta quit writing diaries in here *LOL* !
Ok, back to home prices! Anyone, anyone, who wants to work can work in South Carolina, earn a good wage, buy a home, raise a family.
AS mentioned some big employers are here now, we know Boeing isnt going anyplace soon either, not Volvo ether. But that's the tip of the iceberg. The parts suppliers struggle to find workers as well, good paying jobs. Every plant, including BMW has a host of countless suppliers who need to actually have the part (for an example, the door liners!) on the assembly line the moment that particular vehicle comes down past the station that installs it.
Really fascinating stuff. SO what I am saying, jobs are everywhere. Hey, we got a 3.5% unemployment rate here, amazing.
A country needs to produce products, office workers are expendable and mobile to anyplace in the country and lately, anyplace in the world. But its not easy to move billion dollar production plants around the world.