Southeastern Michigan
Worker Classifications in a Typical Plant
Skilled Trades Workers (All Hourly)
- Tooling Trades including Die Maker, Pattern Makers,
Pattern Repairer, Tool Makers, and Tool Maker-Jig and Fixture
builder
- Maintenance Skilled Trades including Electrician,
Machine Repairmen, Automotive Mechanic, Gas and Electric Jitney Mechanic, Millwright,
Pipefitter-Plumber, Sheet Metal Worker, and Welder Equipment Repairer
Assembly or Non-Skilled Workers (All Hourly)
- Loosely referred to as production workers.
Non-Production Workers
- Clerical office workers, janitors
- Some are salaried; some are salaried union.
Bureau of Labor Statistics Descriptions of Production
Occupations in the Auto Industry
Occupational Outlook Handbook - 2000-2001, Career Guide to Industries:
Motor Vehicle
and Equipment Manufacturing
Industrial production managers oversee
blue-collar worker supervisors. These
supervisors oversee skilled craft and repair workers, machine
operators, and laborers, and coordinate all production
activities—scheduling, staffing,
equipment, quality control, and inventory control. A variety of
manufacturing processes are used. For example, metal parts are
welded; plastic and glass parts are molded and cut; seat cushions are
sewn; and many parts are painted. Many manufacturing processes
are highly automated; robots, computers, and programmable devices are
an integral part of motor vehicle manufacturing. Throughout the
manufacturing process, "statistical process control" (team work
and quality control) is emphasized. From initial planning and
design to final assembly, numerous tests and inspections insure that
vehicles meet quality and safety standards.
Production workers and
operators, fabricators, and laborers
account for nearly 3 out of 4 motor vehicle and equipment
manufacturing jobs. Formal educational requirements range from
less than high school for unskilled laborers, to a high school diploma
for semiskilled machine operators and skilled workers, to vocational
school or community college training for some skilled jobs such as
welders and cutters or mechanics and repairers. As the industry
becomes more complex and the need for unskilled laborers decreases,
employers are increasingly looking for candidates with at least a
high school education.
Operators, fabricators, and
laborers comprise over half of industry
employment. These workers need physical stamina and
coordination, and they must adapt to technological advances.
Assemblers put together various parts to
form subassemblies and then put the subassemblies together to build
a complete motor vehicle. Some may perform other routine tasks
such as mounting and inflating tires, adjusting brakes, and adding
gas, oil, brake fluid, and coolant.
Grinders and polishers
work on metal, plastic, and glass parts. Although robots perform
most of the welding, welders and
cutters still are needed for some
welding and for maintenance and repair duties.
Machine setters, operators, and tenders -- who run various machines that
produce the array of motor vehicle bodies and parts -- account for nearly
1 out of 5 jobs. These workers set up and operate machines and make
adjustments according to their instructions. In computer-controlled
systems, they monitor computers that control the machine processes and may
have little interaction with the machinery or materials.
Machine tool cutting and forming setters, operators,
and tenders, the largest occupation in this group, operate numerous
machines from drill presses used to drill holes to lathe machines that cut
materials such as rods or crankshafts. Some workers specialize in one
type of machine; others operate more than one type.
Among other machine operators, numerical-control
machine-tool operators use machine tools that can be programmed
to manufacture parts of different dimensions automatically.
Welding machine operators tend laser-beam
and other welding machines that join together metal parts.
Painting and coating
machine operators paint surfaces of motor vehicles, and
furnace operators tend heating equipment
that performs such operations as baking fiberglass, drying painted
products, and fusing glass or enamel to metal products.
Sewing machine operators sew together
pieces of material to form seat covers and other parts.
Keeping the plant running smoothly requires vehicle and mobile
equipment operators and manual laborers.
Industrial truck and
tractor operators carry materials and
equipment around and between factories, warehouses, and outdoor
storage areas.
Truckdrivers carry raw materials to plants,
equipment and materials between plants, and finished motor vehicles
to dealerships for sale to consumers. Among unskilled laborers,
freight, stock, and material movers move
materials to and from storage areas, loading docks, delivery vehicles,
and containers. Machine feeders and
offbearers feed materials into or remove
materials from machines or equipment on the assembly line, and
hand packers manually package or wrap
materials. Vehicle washers
and equipment cleaners clean vehicles and
machinery using various cleaning equipment and agents.