A couple of things to note. The article only says the guy was an electrician working at the plant. Not that he's a GM employee. I'd suspect he's a contractor. Secondly is said he has been woking for 28 years. That doesn't imply a pension just a long work history.

So yes it sucks for him that he got fired but it may not be as severe as loosing a 28 yr GM job with a pension. As a contractor he can go work at another place being an electricion but probably won't ever be allowed on GM property again.

I'm also totally for what GM did. Just because this car has been to most over spy-pic'd car I've ever seen doesn't mean you can come into a GM facility and snap pics. They must hold the line somplace. EVERYONE at GM knows that pictures are a prohibited no questions asked. I've heard of people being fired at GM Design just for lifting a tarp on a covered vehicle/mockup. Non-disclosure agreements are signed and a quick lecture on it's rules and implications are spoken of your first morning on the job.

 

Geez you guys are ruthless..lol The way you all are talking like he should get the electric chair.

 

Non disclosure agreement this, non disclosure agreement that. Of course he broke the non disclosure agreement, but who cares. If anything, he helped appease the masses who were wondering whether this car was ever going to make it down the production line on time. I've got a wad of cash just itching to be spent on that car. Seeing those pics calmed my jitters about whether I should wait or just buy another car now. Cheers to the brave few who listen to reason rather than protocol.

 

Why? That's like treating someone the same if they steal a million dollars or a 50 cent candy bar. :wtf:

 

Show me PROOF of what you say. I didn't think so. Goodbye now.

 

Yeah, I mean what the hell, we don't need any rules or laws to live by.

 

That's exactly what I was advocating, doing away with all laws, rules, and the instituting of marshall law Some of you take it to the absolute extreme. He took a picture. BFD. I don't think it's such a big deal to warrant losing your job over. Think about your laws, rules, and regulations next time you go one mile over the speed limit, or leave the license plate off the front bumper. Those are laws too right?

 

but we also do them knowing the consequences when we are caught...pay the ticket(punishment) and move on. He took the pictures knowing the consequences and was caught. The punishment was in writing, and he signed it accepting that he understood the rules and regulations. If he couldn't handle the repercussions of braking the rules, he shouldn't have accepted the job. He just needs to take his punishment and move on.

 

er....the non-disclosure agreement does.

That IS why GM has its employees sign it, so it discourages them to do fool-hardy things like this. You say "he took a picture, BFD."....yeah - if he took a picture of his foot. You and I may not know what details may have been released to the competition, but it could be extremely sensitive stuff: The assembly-plant set-up (it IS state-of-the-art), the car's structure...anything.

Of course, maybe it doesn't show anything valuable.(which is a very real possibility) But then what, GM just turns a blind-eye? "Oh, you broke the contract you signed: you know, the one that says you should be fired...but since it was nothing -- it's okay."

This reaction tells the next guy that the penalties aren't as severe as that silly sheet of paper tells him. So he snaps a shot of something, posts it up; and BAM...HE gives away vital info to prying eyes. HE gets canned. How is that fair when they both broke the same agreement, with the same outlined punishment? I don't think it is in the least!

Some may not like it, but he signed an agreement. He broke the agreement. He got fired.....as per the agreement. End of story. It sucks, especially after 28 years -- but so it goes.

 

It's not so much the pictures of the Camaro itself that's the problem. It's pictures of the car in "processing", possibly revealing a process that gave GM some advantage in some area.
We were told about this on our first day at orientation at our UAW plant.
They can actually sue for damages if a trade secret was revealed...
Very dangerous stuff!..

I feel it would've been different if he'd photo'd one setting on some skids, maybe?..

 

God, you guys act like this guy's a class A felon that deserves to be executed.
Do we know for sure that he signed a non-disclosure/no photo agreement? Do we know the exact wording of the agreement? We don't. He may not even be a GM employee.

You guys are looking at this as if it's black or white. We all know that this world is not black and white. It's just many shades of gray.
To those that brought up the law; why do you think there are varying degrees of punishment, even for the same crimes? Because nothing is black and white and there's reasons and circumstances behind everything.

Here's a question for you. Who here has ever downloaded music illegally, stolen something small, kept change when the cashier gave you too much back, etc. etc? I bet many of you have. Boy, I wish the law came down on you full force. All of you should be in jail right now.

And whatever happened to forgiveness in this world?

Three phrases come to mind when I read how harsh some of you people are. They are:

"Let he without sin cast the first stone"
"Judge not, lest ye be judged"
"To err is human, to forgive is divine"

I hope GM or whoever this guy's employer is reads this because I would say to them that their punishment is too harsh and that they should reconsider. Everybody deserves a second chance.

 

Absolutely Agree

 

Therein lies the attitude as to why Im glad GM delt with it quickly. "Its really no big deal to leak company secrets to the competition. You dont even get fired for it" Reducing pictures of newly developed design and build techniques of future product to merely pictures of a car and not even expect to loose your job because you feel the damage YOU caused shouldnt affect you? Are you kidding me? The idea that someone feels theyre entitled to their pay even though their wreckless actions could directly affect the bottom line for the company.

It almost seems as if some people feel entitled to their pay even if they ruin a company, project, or let exclusive trade secrets escape the company or dont do their best to build a product/service on par with what they would want to pay for themselves. Those same people seem to feel the customer will or should do their part and keep comming back because the client owes their business and loyalty to the company just because the entitled narcisistic "I" work there. I dont owe you a damn thing. Either the company does what it can to keep its edge or not. But know this, if you take a pic that leaks something to the competition and they get the upper hand. Especially if I find out both you and the company feel I owe you yet you both squandered company assets? Youve actually taken steps to offer me a lesser product also. Youve probably just lost me as a customer.

If you truely feel its just a picture because the impact doesnt affect you. If you feel that way but you claim if you were the company youd be more lienient. Take a picutre of one of your active credit cards with the numbers and expiration clearly readable and put it online. Its only a picture...

 

Wow I guess it's true for every extreme there must be an equal and opposite.

It's just a job. People loose their jobs all the time for stupid reasons or just being stupid. This guy seems to fall closer to the latter. It's not like his life is over or he's going to jail. There are many jobs that can be lost for not following the directions. People need to pay attention to the rules and when they say this breaching of certain rules can result in termination then those are some that should be followed.
All GM employees and contractors live under these rules and it’s not that hard not to break. It's also in GM’s best interest to set a strict example here because it will keep the rest in check.

Besides he's an electrician so he can go out and get another job. Life goes on. This lesson will be learned by many more than just him.

 

Well, then you and the masses can send him money to make up what he's lost.

You seem to view a nondisclosure agreement as something frivilous and non binding. The issue is not appeasing you or the so-called masses. He did no service whatsoever in getting new customers for the Camaro. If someone is moronic enough to not believe the Camaro is getting made after all of GM's press releases, all the car mag references, references in Newsweek & Time as well as national news organizations, not to mention enthusiast websites from not just GM & Camaro, but even over at import websites, and all the prototype and mule pictures that's been posted over the months, then a few pics posted on the internet isn't going to convince them either.

There is no one who wasn't going to get a Camaro that's going to see a picture of a structure being made on a robotic machine that's going to say "Holy s*it! That's a great looking car! I'm going to rush down to the dealer and make a deposit!" that didn't say it when they 1st saw spy shots.

There's no cameras allowed in there, period. The casual poster here even knows how serious GM is about ensuring security. All you need to do is look at their reaction to breeches in recent years.

Chrysler even launched a full scale investigation when similar pictures appeared of the Chalenger.

This is no light affair, and eveyone who works in the industry and most long time followers of the car world know this.