Discuss Detroit » Archives - Beginning July 2006 » Norfolk Ford Assembly workers moving to Detroit in January « Previous Next »
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Catman_dude
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Username: Catman_dude

Post Number: 68
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Over 200 assembly workers from the Norfolk (Virginia) Ford Truck Assembly plant are being transferred to the Dearborn plant sometime in January. Most of them have not lived in the northern climates like Michigan.

Is there a website or something that can help them get acclimated to the Detroit area's way of life? Like a "Facts you need to know about living here" type of thing, in one place?

Among some of the facts they need to know is that baby-sitting costs more in Michigan. They are used to paying only $2 or $3 per hour for a baby-sitter (lots of Navy wives in Norfolk and Virginia Beach). Other things to know: how to dress for the bone-chilling temperatures; how to deal with mosquitoes in spring/summer; why you need snow tires; what is taxed and what is not; "it is called 'pop' not soda"; yes- the ground is frozen in winter; we have clay, not sand, in the ground; etc etc.
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 522
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:13 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

We need snow tires? I'd suggest the visitors and convention bureau for this sort of info.

www.visitdetroit.org.

Oh and steer them to Warrendale or other nearby Dearborn Detroit neighborhoods!
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Spiritofdetroit
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Username: Spiritofdetroit

Post Number: 108
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

send em to this website here. And if they can take the time to weed out all the bickering and bs here, they may learn something.
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Spiritofdetroit
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Username: Spiritofdetroit

Post Number: 109
Registered: 11-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:16 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

send em to this website here. And if they can take the time to weed out all the bickering and bs here, they may learn something.
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Scottr
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Username: Scottr

Post Number: 102
Registered: 07-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

out of all that you listed, catman, by far the most important is that it is called pop, not soda. somebody truly does need to set people right on that. :-)

i'm not even sure whether i'm being sarcastic or not with that, so take it as you will...

i agree with DP, we need snow tires? i've never had any, and i don't have any problems, despite my hour-long commute.

I once heard on 89X a funny-but-true primer on local traffic for new residents. unfortunately the only parts i remember are that 696 and 275 are our daily versions of NASCAR, and when they were listing when the rush hours started and ended, they said the friday afternoon rush hour starts on thursday.
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Valkyrias
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Username: Valkyrias

Post Number: 390
Registered: 02-2005
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:26 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

although it might not be entirely helpful, it is definitely humorous and may help them understand why we talk the way we do :-)

www.michigannative.com
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Lilpup
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Username: Lilpup

Post Number: 1553
Registered: 06-2004
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:28 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

with Wixom going out and all the others here let go why are they transferring people up from Norfolk?
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Catman_dude
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Username: Catman_dude

Post Number: 69
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Regarding the snow tires...Well, it has been almost twenty years since I've lived in Michigan sooo...ok, some things changed. :-)
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Bob
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Username: Bob

Post Number: 1268
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 2:30 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

It's all about seniority and the UAW.
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Detroitplanner
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Username: Detroitplanner

Post Number: 524
Registered: 04-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 3:03 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Catman, you should get those bia-ply tires off your Vega and get some radials. You'd be amazed at the difference in drivability! :-)
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Catman_dude
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Username: Catman_dude

Post Number: 70
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 3:25 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Well, I was holding out for repairs to my 8-track tape deck before getting radials. Don't want my Leo Sayer tapes gettin' chewed up! :-)
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4582
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 3:40 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Warmed Vernor's cures all your aches and pains after 8 hrs. on the line bolting radials.
If you're working at Dearborn F-150 plant, be sure to pull up your pants. Tourists say "No to Crack."

As for Va., it does get cold there. Not to worry, they're not coming up from Florida.

They should know that the Dearborn garbage trucks read, "Keep Dearborn Clean" and we all know what that means.

jjaba, Westside geographer.
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4583
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Tuesday, December 12, 2006 - 3:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Catman, Dude, tell them that Detroit is not known for good catfish and hush puppies. Buy each of them two on one, lite mustard, onions, at the local Coney Island.

jjaba, Westsider.
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Jerome81
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Username: Jerome81

Post Number: 1215
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 4:07 am:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

So 200 are moving from Virginia? I suspect that then means that 200 already in Dearborn will be without work?

Ah yes, the wonderful UAW Seniority Rules. What a joke.

VA is cold. Not much different in MI. Other than that, there shouldn't be too much else to show them. Hell, their perception of detroit is probably terrible. Should be easy to live up to or exceed that.
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4593
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 1:21 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Norfolk is probably like Detroit anyways, with a little more water and military. Detroit isn't exactly a foreign country, although the Dearborn Bourkas might be a novelty to them. Put some Baklava and Babaganousch in their lunch pails.

jjaba, Westsider.
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Pistonian_revolution
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Username: Pistonian_revolution

Post Number: 55
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 2:15 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

they'll all probably move to a detroit suburb. it seems that every foreigner or domestic transplant that moves to detroit gets the message from someone that they MUST live in the suburbs, otherwise they risk certain death.

my roommate is jordanian and his girlfriend is an accounting student at wayne, originally from china. she talks constantly about leaving her apartment on hancock once she graduates and moving the suburbs: the apparent location of the american dream.

i mean, i already knew all of this and i am not clueless about where they get this beleif: from from everyone. but it just irritates me and they wont listen to my attempts to correct her false-beleif.

how do we stop people who move to metro detroit from beleiving the perpetuated myths about the city? how do we stop the cycle of beleifs? besides changing the actual state of things in the city, that will come along as it may. but it seems that no matter what detroit does to improve, people still have a stereotyped opinion of detroit. im sure this has come up on the forum before but- why not ask?
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Gistok
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Username: Gistok

Post Number: 3230
Registered: 08-2004
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 3:43 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

When did they stop having mosquitoes in Virginia?
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Burnsie
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Username: Burnsie

Post Number: 802
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 4:08 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

"we have clay, not sand, in the ground..."

Yeah, in the southern half of the state. But up north there's a lot of sandy soil. I know, the autoworkers won't be moving up north as long as they're working around Detroit.
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Catman_dude
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Username: Catman_dude

Post Number: 72
Registered: 03-2006
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 4:29 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

As far as Norfolk area being cold, believe me, it ain't nothing like Michigan winter weather. It rarely STAYS below 32 degrees for more than two days in a row and rarely goes below 15 degrees, non-wind-chill-wise.

Mosquitos in Virginia, at least in Hampton Roads area are not a problem like in Michigan. I've have not been bitten more than 2-3 times at once since moving down to VA. But I've gotten dozens of bites in Michigan in one night a few times. What Virginia has that is worse than mosquitos are fire ants, plain ants, scabies, strange spiders, mutant insects that look like a cross between fleas and crickets, and other weird bugs.
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Ramcharger
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Username: Ramcharger

Post Number: 167
Registered: 05-2006
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 5:36 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)


quote:

"Ah yes, the wonderful UAW Seniority Rules. What a joke."


Why do you have a problem with seniority? This is the fairest way to determine job placement. Perhaps you would prefer favoritism or racial and gender bias as a means of determining who gets what jobs.
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Jjaba
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Username: Jjaba

Post Number: 4599
Registered: 11-2003
Posted on Wednesday, December 13, 2006 - 7:39 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

Seniority is a keysotne for unions. Don't even think of messing with it. Another big deal for them, is scabs. jjaba can tell you, there's nothing lower than a fukking scab.

jjaba.
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Ltdave
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Username: Ltdave

Post Number: 7
Registered: 09-2006
Posted on Sunday, December 17, 2006 - 2:18 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

not all unions use seniority...

go to any building trade (electrician, millwright, pipefitter/plumber) and sign the book. if youre first to sign, youre first called. as everyone gets called to work, they progress down the list until (hopefully)everyone is working...

although, seniority is definitely a good thing to prevent nepotism, racism, agism and plain ol favoritism...

david
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Oldredfordette
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Username: Oldredfordette

Post Number: 893
Registered: 02-2004
Posted on Sunday, December 17, 2006 - 2:24 pm:   Edit PostDelete Post   Move Post (Moderator/Admin Only)

What Jjaba said.

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