When I first started at Mobis North America in 2012 (a supplier of automotive products for Jeeps and other vehicles) I believed the job would be my final stop before eventual retirement. However, on Wednesday November 6, 2024, everything I worked 12 long years for was destroyed in a matter of minutes when my co-workers and I learned that Stellantis would be cutting Jeep Gladiator production to one operating shift. Unfortunately, I will probably not make the cut.
Mobis is not Stellantis. We are part of the Toledo Assembly complex, but our shop is small with less than 400 employees; and now 210 of us are set to lose our jobs, with no safety net. We don’t get 2 years of benefits. We get thrown to the curb on January 5th with no severance or benefits along with plenty of other suppliers that are “not Stellantis”.
Humanity and a word of caution
I want to express some commentary on humanity, along with words of caution for anyone seeking a life in this tumultuous automotive industry.
As a child, nobody dreams that they want to toil day in day out in an industry that treats its employees like numbers and gives little appreciation for hard work that goes beyond individual title.
I was an optimistic child born in Toledo and raised in Waterville. My Dad is a Vietnam era Republican who hammered a strong work ethic into me, and really instilled the notion into me that if you work hard the world is for the taking. My mom is a retired UTMC (MCO ) Pharmacy Tech whose Grandfather was a first generation Polish immigrant who worked at the Jeep Plant in the Golden Era of the automotive industry after World War II. He created and maintained a decent life for his family, in a selfless style, that was the norm across the fabric of society at the time.
Part of a team, but perhaps overlooked as an individual
Well, hard work is a great quality, but in a union, it’s not celebrated, instead, it seems that seniority is really the only thing that matters. Imagine you are part of a Socialist experiment in a controlled small environment for most of your life, you can really say that it would never work in this country. In a Union everyone gets the same pay and benefits, individual accomplishments mean nothing. Shared leadership within the Union dictates every principle of your job, including political affiliation.
However, bonds are strong amongst Union Brothers and Sisters. That’s what makes the job bearable. It is the only thing that gives meaning to your existence in this volatile industry.
Sounding a warning
I am writing to deliver a warning. The public has always criticized union workers as high school dropouts who never grew up mentally, and generally are all perceived to suffer from substance abuse issues. Well, I graduated from high school and college. Granted, I obtained a Liberal Arts degree in filmmaking which, looking back, might not have been the wisest decision.
The fact is there are many smart people that work these jobs in the auto industry and, perhaps, they may have not made the best decisions in life. I know my shortcomings led me here, and now I might lose a job that has allowed me to live a life I never thought I would have. Now, at age 43, I might have to start over again, because I am just a number. But I want my number to be heard. I do have a voice, feelings, family and personality. I want people to read this and understand that we, my fellow automotive workers and I, just want a life like everyone else. We are more than just lost children that never grew up.