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Back in the Hunt     

Nothing has ever come easy for Orion Assembly and UAW Local 5960. Recently their tasks included building five distinct car programs, all built on the same production line. At times the assembly center was home to more than 15,000 individual parts. The complexity of the five car–line build tested the ability and patience of each employee. But overcoming those challenges provided the foundation for Orion Assembly to be awarded the Pontiac G6 program. Today, Orion employees are the sole providers of the all-new Pontiac G6. They knew they could build any kind of car that GM could come up with, and their commitment to quality makes them world-class by anyone’s standards. This confidence has proved to be well-founded, as GM’s decision to build the new Pontiac G6 at Orion Assembly demonstrates “There was a lot of uncertainty on the plant floor at one point, and we were not sure if we would get new work,” says UAW Local 5960 member Denny McKervey, a Quality Network representative in soft trim. “To be honest, the level of quality in this plant has gotten so high, we couldn’t see why the company would want to build the G6 anyplace else.” “This workforce has always produced a quality product, regardless of how complicated the build or how many different product lines they were asked to build,” says Pat Sweeney, president of UAW Local 5960. “If you look at the quality numbers along with productivity gains, this workforce has proven that it is among the best in the world. ” The confidence that the workers have in their ability to deliver world-class quality is echoed among both the union and management leadership. “We have been able to handle all the issues that have been thrown at us, and we have done it in an efficient and high-quality way,” says UAW Local 5960 Chairman Lee Jones. “This is an award-winning group of people.”

Quality in Their Sights

When it came time for GM to decide where to invest $300 million to build a car deemed critical to GM’s future, quality was perhaps the most important consideration. Orion’s vehicles are consistently at the top of the Consumer Reports list of study of initial vehicle quality, Orion was ranked fourth in the Orion’s accomplishments in the areas of quality and teamwork have generated quite a bit of good press coverage, Sweeney notes, which serves to project a positive image for the plant’s products in the eyes of consumers. This successful attention to quality is no small feat. “At one point a few years back, our members were building five different models [the Buick LeSabre and Park Avenue , the Olds Aurora and Pontiac Bonneville], ” Sweeney says. “The complexity of the Aurora alone was a hurdle in and it was almost impossible.” “The real credit goes to each and every employee who has worked hard to make this plant what it is today, and to create its high-quality reputation within and outside the company,” says Plant Manager Jamie Hresko. “The best technologies are not enough, you need people who are dedicated and committed to building quality and willing to work together as a team.”   Winning the G6 contract was critical to Orion Assembly’s future, and there was widespread awareness on both the hourly and salaried sides about just how high the stakes were.   The Orion township partnered with Orion Assembly and UAW Local 5960 to craft a tax abatement package that helped seal the deal on the Pontiac G6 project.   When Orion Assembly’s production run was pared to just two models, the LeSabre and Park Avenue , UAW and GM   As a result, both cars were consistently rated at the top

Time to Reload

However, landing the G6 required even more effort, with UAW Local 5960 leadership and plant management working in close collaboration.  About three years ago, both sides began working together on a strategic campaign to show the corporation what Orion Assembly was capable of achieving. The plant made tremendous strides in key areas, including cost, quality, union/management relations, and health and safety. As is always the case in deciding where a new model is going to be built, there were several factors involved in GM’s selection of Orion. Having opened in 1983, Orion Assembly is one of GM’s newer high-technology facilities, with an excellent location close to much of its supply base.   Once selected to build the G6, UAW Local 5960 began contributing to the project. GM provided special training to handle the changeover, which was completed without any shutdowns, and relied on skilled trades workers to handle much of the work, rather than bringing in outside contractors.   “In the past, when they were setting up a new line, they would just come in and clean house,” says UAW Local 5960 member David Mora, a skilled trades electrician. “We formed a construction crew whose sole purpose was to get a foothold on some of the work that had to be done prior to the launch.”   For example, instead of tossing out the old robotic equipment and replacing it, Mora and his coworkers set up a “robot hospital” to revamp, rebuild and modernize the existing equipment. That saved millions of dollars for the plant.   WardsAuto.com estimates GM saved about $40 million in changeover costs prepping Orion for the G6,with much of the savings coming from efforts like those of Mora’s team and the use of UAW members to install new equipment.

In some respects, the plant is entering uncharted territory with production of the G6. The car is built on GM’s global Epsilon architecture, with a cross-car magnesium beam and a classleading 112.3-inch wheelbase. Five inches longer than its key midsize competitors, the G6 delivers responsive ride and handling qualities with minimal body roll. The members of UAW Local 5960 have no doubt that they are up to the challenge.  "We have a very good facility here, with a lot of hardworking people," says Dave Mallett, a team leader in the body shop. "The people here care about what they do. I work with a lot of people who do things they don’t have to do, who go above and beyond in every respect. It’s an attitude I see not just in the body shop, but everywhere I go in the plant." Mallett, a 28-year veteran of GM, sees the G6 as securing his future, as do many other workers. The plant is scheduled to add a second shift when it starts production of the coupe and convertible models in the first quarter of 2005. With a daughter getting ready to go to college, Mallett says if G6 production starts generating overtime, he might stick around a little longer than he otherwise would have.  As the rollout kicks off with the four-door sedan, Orion Assembly’s hallmark quality continues to stamp every vehicle it produces. Initial reaction from dealers and the car-buying public has been positive. "To date, our warranty numbers are coming in very low, while our quality off the end of the final car line is very good," Hresko reports. "GM’s Quality Glide Path assessment on warranty and J.D. Power Initial Quality Studies show the G6 coming in well below targets."  "Good people build great cars," Jones says. "UAW Local 5960 has proven that we can now look forward to an exciting future thanks to the UAW Local 5960 membership and their continued focus on building quality products." UAW Local 5960 member Sharon Smith, a team leader in general assembly III, says people who know she works at Orion stop her all the time to ask about the car. "There is a lot of excitement around this car, and there’s going to be even more when we start making the coupe and the convertible," she says.  "This is our future, our life, our livelihood," she adds. "It’s what makes a good personal life possible for us."

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