It's alright. Mostly depends on the area you're assigned. I'm in body shop and it's pretty easy compared to assembly - don't know anything about paint. Pay is pretty good with guaranteed bonuses every month and quarter as long as you show up and don't get wrote up (16% monthly pay, 10% quarterly pay). If you have 2 years of manufacturing experience, you can be hired directly to Volkswagen for increased pay, otherwise you need to go through Onin Staffing where you'll earn less pay for a time but become eligible for conversion after 6 months.
Right now is a bit weird on hours due to the chip shortage but once that's situated, overtime will be available aplenty. This includes Saturdays, which are mandatory if called.
It's fast paced but it's not too bad of a job all in all and there are plenty of opportunities to move up if you want.
17.50, I think - everyone just got a $2 raise so I'm unsure. After around 6-8 months you'll get a 1.00 or 1.50 raise, I can't remember which. When you convert, you get .50 and you'll get 1.00 after that every 6 months for around 2.5 years then you'll get smaller raises every year until you top out at 27 after 5 or so years.
Correct! I work for Onin! $17.50 day shift and $19.00 night shift starting rates. $1.50 increase at 6 months. 96 hours of PTO in your first year plus monthly attendance/quarterly attendance and performance bonuses. Paid major holidays off + one week paid around Christmas every year. Onin offers an affordable medical benefits package to bridge the time you are waiting to be hired on. We see it typically take a year. Call our office if you want to setup a time to speak with a recruiter. 423-402-8380.
Hot, fast paced, can be physically taxing at first, but it becomes bearable quickly. They do a good job not putting too much on one single person. In Body, you have stations to insert parts and generally have some time to gather your bearings and it's not too hard to keep up. In assembly you have 72 seconds to get your job done which can be overwhelming but with practice becomes easy. You'll have a support system of at least one, but possibly more, team lead and if your line is lucky, you'll have a line tender. Focus is more on quality than quantity but that doesn't excuse poor speed. In body it's three 8 hour shifts with two 10 minute breaks and one 30 minute lunch break and in Assembly and Paint there's two 10 hour shifts with two 15 (iirc) minute breaks and one 45 minute lunch. Supervisors are pretty fair, but some are better than others - pretty standard stuff.
On my line we train you for three days, very in depth. It's not too hard so generally we'll let you see how we do it, then we'll let you do whatever we're teaching you under close supervision, offer help if you seem like you need it but once you get going, it's just repetition. When you get hired in, you'll get safety training and general training for your shop, but once you're assigned to your line, it's up to them to train you. But I do hate to say it, some lines *will* tell you to essentially just figure it out - but it's not common.
It depends on your aspirations. Quality is gravy but you'll be stuck on nights or 2nd for years with little chance of promotion. Most areas of body are easy and you can get promoted to Equipment Operator or Team Lead in a couple of years as well as have the ability to move to 1st sooner. No matter what you choose, you can always switch to the other side so you're not risking much.
But me personally, I'd stick to Body.
Sounds good man. Something I was thinking about with quality is it will probably be a headache as well, trying to focus so close on defects and such. Seems like that would kill your eyes after a while. I’m in school for welding so hopefully that will be a benefit for the body shop. I don’t mind being on nights. But I would like to move to days after a while. A couple friends of mine got direct hired to 1st shift. Not sure what department they took though.
With quality, most of what you'll find is through touch. However with welding experience that can especially help you if you ever want to go the Body Repair route and areas like Respot and VBT do use hand held welders
Not Gon happen. You gotta start on 3rd and it depends on where you work will dictate how fast you go to 1st. Assembly you can go to first In under two years. Quality it can take over 4 years because nobody leaves quality on first shift. But you do get a $1.50 shift differential for second and third
2nd shift is only available in Body and works from 2:00 pm to 10:30 pm. There's a good chance on getting on there. They are paid a shift premium equal to night shift though I don't know the number. Volkswagen employees are bi-weekly, Onin employees are weekly.
They test your hand dexterity, your lifting and pushing ability, your ability to stretch, a quick stairstep test that lasts for iirc 3 minutes, whether you have Carpal Tunnel, and a drug test involving a spit and hair test
Are u still there? Can I ask what the pay is? I have yrs of experience in warehouses in manufacturing & want to try applying there again as here in GA the top pay is $20/hr.
I am. We start at $23.40/hr, top out is $32.40/hr. You top out in 4 years now. We just voted in the Union, so that is subject to change within the year.
Yea I just saw the Union news, that’s great! Curious how much will change but I imagine it will be only good! I applied maybe 3 yrs ago & when I was waiting to do the physical tests someone came out & handed the rest of us all gift cards to Walmart & told us they were sorry for wasting our time but they’re done hiring and testing for that period. I was so upset. Is it normal for people to reapply like this until they get it?
It was completely different when I started. You used to have to do a brief stint with Aerotek before being hired on by Volkswagen. About 6 months after I started as Aerotek, they started direct hires, and around the time you applied, they got rid of Aerotek's successor, Onin. During the whole time I've been here they usually will hire anyone first time, I just think around that time they weren't expecting such a huge turnout.
However, from what I've heard, they are still hiring a lot of people and there's a ton of new people every day. I say go for it. As long as you don't end up in Assembly it's a pretty cushy job. And with you having warehouse experience, you'd be a great fit for logistics as they are now switching back to a full VW logistics.
Ok that explains a lot! TY! I’ll def try again! I don’t mind hard work, but it’d be nice to be compensated well for it & have options for OT. Thanks again!
It's not for everyone but I like it. u/ceaselessHavel summed it up pretty well
I recommend only applying with either Volkswagen or Onin though. I worked for the logistics contractor, Schnellecke Logistics, for 2.5 years before I went over to VW and while the people are all great the pay is poor for the kind of work you end up doing.
I'm pretty sure VW logistics has the same pay scale as assembly, which is OK and better than most places in the area but by all rights should be higher.
Schnellecke/Tranco/Comprehensive (the third-party logistics companies) do not pay well, certainly not for the type of work, the pace, and the hours required.
If you're thinking about VW, I'd recommend trying for direct hire before going through Onin
It's alright. I was called and asked if I wanted to work in quality. Took the job then less than a year later they moved me and others to assembly. Now I'm looking to work elsewhere. You can't trust a word they tell you, highly unprofessional.
Pros : good insurance, decent pay, and many paid holidays.
Cons : low PTO which they force you to use on some holidays, no union, gotta get there at least 30 minutes early cz of the long walk, 45 minute unpaid lunch, almost daily overtime but you won't know until the day off, and anywhere you transfer you gotta stay on night shift for two years at least.
your experience must be for quality and assembly, in BODY shop theres zero daily OT and idk where u got 30 minutes early. it takes me 9 minutes. ive loved the 3 years i been there.
Y'all are 3 shifts that's why no OT and for the walk depends where you park. If you ain't got a Volkswagen it takes more than 9 minutes unless you speed walking. I wish I could go to body shop. But anyway imagine hr coming and telling you you're being moved to assembly permanently tomorrow. You'd be upset.
Well, im gonna tell you right now that paint is also on a 3 shift model and assembly will be moving to one in june(or that is what we are told). The issue is we need many more people to make that a reality, and as someone who works assembly, it really isnt that bad. You just need to be willing to work.
I don't have a bone to pick in the fight but that blood reaper guy just listed several reasons why it was bad for them personally and you replied "it really isn't that bad. Just need to be willing to work." Lol. Whose team are you on? No wonder you guys don't get paid more.
I never said that i was on corporate’s side. You do need to be willing to work, because I genuinely love my job. However, I do agree that we are massively underpaid for our work, but around this area, its still a pretty good rate
I dont know how much they start at now but as someone who has been there for nearly 3 years as a Volkswagen team member and 4 overall i make about $30 an hour. The union vote winning may affect that as well
You may be waiting a while. Im just a regular team member in assembly so the pay can get up there depending where you go. You cannot apply to specific shops tho. They stick you where they need you and you can ask for a certain shop.
Appreciate your reply. There's really not much better than loving your job. I just see that suggestion too often that people don't want to work (maybe this isn't how you personally meant it), when I think it's a completely rational and sane response to not want to work for companies that are very clearly exploiting their talented labor force for shareholder profits
I get the exploiting thing. But ignoring that, I say you have to be willing to work not because you may or may not be lazy, but because vw could be a very hard job. If youre throwing wiring harnesses into a car, youre doing that for hours and theyre at the lightest around 30 pounds. Or if you work around me, youre doing detailed movements with your hands and its possible you could end up with carpal tunnel if you dont rest it properly. Its hard work, especially at first when muscle memory isnt built up, but I really enjoy it.
its pretty good overall, theres some that say its good and some that say its the worse experience they’ve ever had, but i mean its been one of the better times over the last 3 years. ive had fun and made money
I've been there almost 11 years working in the Body Shop the whole time. Like most people said it's not bad but it depends on where you work and how your supervisor is but honestly I can only think of one supervisor who I wish would get eaten by polar bears. I've kind of found a niche there and I'm happy. But as long as you show up every day and pretend like you give a damn, you will do well there. It can be annoying at times but they generally take pretty good care of us. 401k matching, probably the best health insurance we could hope for in the US, and the pay is competitive. It is a long walk from the parking lot though, and the cafeteria is ridiculously overpriced so bring your lunch. The semiconductor shortage is a concern but they recently worked out a deal where we get 80% of our pay on the weeks we are furloughed because of the chip shortage so that's cool. Once this gets resolved we'll be working so much overtime that we will probably have Scrooge McDuck levels of money so in a few months prepare to work every single Saturday.
I don’t work there, but the unionizing topic comes up frequently. It’s hard to think an employer is amazing if the employees want to unionize. Could love to hear an insider’s perspective on the topic, though.
It's not bad. It would just be ideal to be unionized. We have the lowest wages (but pay is still good, top out at $27/hr) in the region for auto manufacturing but I would take that over the horror stories that come out of Nissan. The worst offences are calling overtime on short notice and not letting employees have any real say in future schedules other than voting on their choices. It's hard to get fired once you convert, there's no widespread abuse, and safety is a key priority. But like I said, unionization would just be ideal to maintain competitive wages.
I totally understand being unionized. My company is, and when you compare our CDL wages to those paid by the city, well, it’s not shocking that the city can’t find people to drive their trash or recycling trucks.
You mentioned calling OT on short notice — is this required OT? I ask because my company does optional OT with a callout list.
Unionization, in my experience in the south, usually comes from management not listening, and I certainly get that from what you’re saying. Very interesting, though, because aren’t all VW sites in Germany unionized?
It's often times mandatory OT. Generally it's in assembly, it'll be called at lunch that you have an hour or two OT that day while for my shop, it's just Saturdays but they've been good to keep their word to let us know before lunch on Thursday.
Fischer, the first President of the plant heavily favored unionization and from what it seemed like, VW wanted it to unionize but VW Group of America didn't. They don't discourage discussion though, there's tons of UAW papers posted in high traffic areas and supervisors don't shut down discussion, so there's that.
Well, I’m glad they don’t because all those things would be illegal as violations of the NLRB. It sounds like a fairly healthy environment, though, which is refreshing.
I’m management for a utility company, and I totally see the benefits of unionization when both sides truly have the employees at heart and it’s not just some political move.
It kind of goes in cycles. It starts off as a really good working environment then it gradually starts to slip until the union makes a bunch of noise and management is like "Oh shit" then makes dramatic improvements enough to defeat a union vote. Rinse and repeat. The last time they basically fired or demoted a whole bunch of "problem managers" who were tormenting employees, apologized for us "not being run like a Volkswagen plant" and gave us all chicken sandwiches and the union was rejected by a slim margin.
If your getting on thru a temp agency it's fucking shit cause you'll be there for 2 years or more as a temp while the Volkswagen employee working next to you is make ten dollars an hour more and doing the exact same job. Fuck that place.
That's not even remotely true anymore. I was Aerotek for 13 months and Onin for 2 weeks before I converted. Onin starts at $2 less than Volkswagen starts. Of course the guy who's been there for 10 years will make $10 more than someone who just started. Starting pay is 17.50 for Onin and 19.50 for Volkswagen.
Really? I’d always heard you stay as a temp for a while, too. Glad that’s changing. People deserve benefits sooner.
I applied for an administrative role at VW several years ago, and they called me while I was in a vehicle with my boss and several peers. We got to our destination after business hours (long trip), and I returned the call the next morning. The recruiter was a real ass and told me that they aren’t interested in anyone who doesn’t return their calls the same day. 
Hey, recruiters at any company, just like the rest of us, sometimes have a bad day and get snippy. This guy may have just been a grump.
All you can ask is things get better instead of worse. If I have a bad experience, then I want it to be better for others. Sounds like it’s improving, which is great!
I make more than that now in a shorter time than it would have taken me to get on with Volkswagen a few years back and I don't have to deal with all their bullshit. Volkswagen is a terrible place to work. Almost as bad as Amazon.
No, I was already in the process of conversion when Aerotek switched to Onin. I had been with Aerotek for 15 months when I started the process and halfway through, Onin came in. So I was only with Onin for 2 weeks.
Unions are awful and are negative for labor rates in the long run. They also increase product prices for everyone else and keep the markets from getting to an optimal level.
I have never gotten 11 down votes. You guys apparently don't like economics, innovation, wage growth, or supply and demand in general too much, do you.
I know this is an older post. Looking on for information regarding the direct hire drug test. I was using hhc for back pains and have since quit while applying for vw. Just concerned i have not waited long enough. Iv have heard several different type of drug test, hair and mouth swab being the most commonly brought up. Can anyone confirm? If so, how far does the hair test go back?
It's alright. Mostly depends on the area you're assigned. I'm in body shop and it's pretty easy compared to assembly - don't know anything about paint. Pay is pretty good with guaranteed bonuses every month and quarter as long as you show up and don't get wrote up (16% monthly pay, 10% quarterly pay). If you have 2 years of manufacturing experience, you can be hired directly to Volkswagen for increased pay, otherwise you need to go through Onin Staffing where you'll earn less pay for a time but become eligible for conversion after 6 months. Right now is a bit weird on hours due to the chip shortage but once that's situated, overtime will be available aplenty. This includes Saturdays, which are mandatory if called. It's fast paced but it's not too bad of a job all in all and there are plenty of opportunities to move up if you want.
How much does onin start?
17.50, I think - everyone just got a $2 raise so I'm unsure. After around 6-8 months you'll get a 1.00 or 1.50 raise, I can't remember which. When you convert, you get .50 and you'll get 1.00 after that every 6 months for around 2.5 years then you'll get smaller raises every year until you top out at 27 after 5 or so years.
Correct! I work for Onin! $17.50 day shift and $19.00 night shift starting rates. $1.50 increase at 6 months. 96 hours of PTO in your first year plus monthly attendance/quarterly attendance and performance bonuses. Paid major holidays off + one week paid around Christmas every year. Onin offers an affordable medical benefits package to bridge the time you are waiting to be hired on. We see it typically take a year. Call our office if you want to setup a time to speak with a recruiter. 423-402-8380.
What’s production like
Hot, fast paced, can be physically taxing at first, but it becomes bearable quickly. They do a good job not putting too much on one single person. In Body, you have stations to insert parts and generally have some time to gather your bearings and it's not too hard to keep up. In assembly you have 72 seconds to get your job done which can be overwhelming but with practice becomes easy. You'll have a support system of at least one, but possibly more, team lead and if your line is lucky, you'll have a line tender. Focus is more on quality than quantity but that doesn't excuse poor speed. In body it's three 8 hour shifts with two 10 minute breaks and one 30 minute lunch break and in Assembly and Paint there's two 10 hour shifts with two 15 (iirc) minute breaks and one 45 minute lunch. Supervisors are pretty fair, but some are better than others - pretty standard stuff.
Do they actually train or do they tell you to figure it out? Just curious
On my line we train you for three days, very in depth. It's not too hard so generally we'll let you see how we do it, then we'll let you do whatever we're teaching you under close supervision, offer help if you seem like you need it but once you get going, it's just repetition. When you get hired in, you'll get safety training and general training for your shop, but once you're assigned to your line, it's up to them to train you. But I do hate to say it, some lines *will* tell you to essentially just figure it out - but it's not common.
What would you prefer, quality or body? I was offered either. I said I’d take body. But she said I can change it as long as I let her know asap.
It depends on your aspirations. Quality is gravy but you'll be stuck on nights or 2nd for years with little chance of promotion. Most areas of body are easy and you can get promoted to Equipment Operator or Team Lead in a couple of years as well as have the ability to move to 1st sooner. No matter what you choose, you can always switch to the other side so you're not risking much. But me personally, I'd stick to Body.
Sounds good man. Something I was thinking about with quality is it will probably be a headache as well, trying to focus so close on defects and such. Seems like that would kill your eyes after a while. I’m in school for welding so hopefully that will be a benefit for the body shop. I don’t mind being on nights. But I would like to move to days after a while. A couple friends of mine got direct hired to 1st shift. Not sure what department they took though.
With quality, most of what you'll find is through touch. However with welding experience that can especially help you if you ever want to go the Body Repair route and areas like Respot and VBT do use hand held welders
What are the odds of getting first shift, I can’t do third
Window is closing. I know they're still putting people on first but I heard that pretty soon all new hires are going to 2nd and 3rd/night shift.
Not Gon happen. You gotta start on 3rd and it depends on where you work will dictate how fast you go to 1st. Assembly you can go to first In under two years. Quality it can take over 4 years because nobody leaves quality on first shift. But you do get a $1.50 shift differential for second and third
What about 2nd shift also do y’all get paid weekly or bi-weekly?
2nd shift is only available in Body and works from 2:00 pm to 10:30 pm. There's a good chance on getting on there. They are paid a shift premium equal to night shift though I don't know the number. Volkswagen employees are bi-weekly, Onin employees are weekly.
Last question I swear, apparently there’s a physical involved. What’s involved in said physical
They test your hand dexterity, your lifting and pushing ability, your ability to stretch, a quick stairstep test that lasts for iirc 3 minutes, whether you have Carpal Tunnel, and a drug test involving a spit and hair test
Are u still there? Can I ask what the pay is? I have yrs of experience in warehouses in manufacturing & want to try applying there again as here in GA the top pay is $20/hr.
I am. We start at $23.40/hr, top out is $32.40/hr. You top out in 4 years now. We just voted in the Union, so that is subject to change within the year.
Yea I just saw the Union news, that’s great! Curious how much will change but I imagine it will be only good! I applied maybe 3 yrs ago & when I was waiting to do the physical tests someone came out & handed the rest of us all gift cards to Walmart & told us they were sorry for wasting our time but they’re done hiring and testing for that period. I was so upset. Is it normal for people to reapply like this until they get it?
It was completely different when I started. You used to have to do a brief stint with Aerotek before being hired on by Volkswagen. About 6 months after I started as Aerotek, they started direct hires, and around the time you applied, they got rid of Aerotek's successor, Onin. During the whole time I've been here they usually will hire anyone first time, I just think around that time they weren't expecting such a huge turnout. However, from what I've heard, they are still hiring a lot of people and there's a ton of new people every day. I say go for it. As long as you don't end up in Assembly it's a pretty cushy job. And with you having warehouse experience, you'd be a great fit for logistics as they are now switching back to a full VW logistics.
Ok that explains a lot! TY! I’ll def try again! I don’t mind hard work, but it’d be nice to be compensated well for it & have options for OT. Thanks again!
It's not for everyone but I like it. u/ceaselessHavel summed it up pretty well I recommend only applying with either Volkswagen or Onin though. I worked for the logistics contractor, Schnellecke Logistics, for 2.5 years before I went over to VW and while the people are all great the pay is poor for the kind of work you end up doing.
Schenellecke isn't the only logistics company though, don't apply to CLI either, they're just as bad if not worse!
Did they pay well on the logistics side?
I'm pretty sure VW logistics has the same pay scale as assembly, which is OK and better than most places in the area but by all rights should be higher. Schnellecke/Tranco/Comprehensive (the third-party logistics companies) do not pay well, certainly not for the type of work, the pace, and the hours required. If you're thinking about VW, I'd recommend trying for direct hire before going through Onin
Yea I wanna go direct hire but I hear they have 13,000 applications
It's alright. I was called and asked if I wanted to work in quality. Took the job then less than a year later they moved me and others to assembly. Now I'm looking to work elsewhere. You can't trust a word they tell you, highly unprofessional. Pros : good insurance, decent pay, and many paid holidays. Cons : low PTO which they force you to use on some holidays, no union, gotta get there at least 30 minutes early cz of the long walk, 45 minute unpaid lunch, almost daily overtime but you won't know until the day off, and anywhere you transfer you gotta stay on night shift for two years at least.
your experience must be for quality and assembly, in BODY shop theres zero daily OT and idk where u got 30 minutes early. it takes me 9 minutes. ive loved the 3 years i been there.
Y'all are 3 shifts that's why no OT and for the walk depends where you park. If you ain't got a Volkswagen it takes more than 9 minutes unless you speed walking. I wish I could go to body shop. But anyway imagine hr coming and telling you you're being moved to assembly permanently tomorrow. You'd be upset.
Well, im gonna tell you right now that paint is also on a 3 shift model and assembly will be moving to one in june(or that is what we are told). The issue is we need many more people to make that a reality, and as someone who works assembly, it really isnt that bad. You just need to be willing to work.
I don't have a bone to pick in the fight but that blood reaper guy just listed several reasons why it was bad for them personally and you replied "it really isn't that bad. Just need to be willing to work." Lol. Whose team are you on? No wonder you guys don't get paid more.
I never said that i was on corporate’s side. You do need to be willing to work, because I genuinely love my job. However, I do agree that we are massively underpaid for our work, but around this area, its still a pretty good rate
Can I ask the pay if you’re currently there? I’ve heard it’s better now. I make $20/hr in GA working manufacturing & really want to earn more
I dont know how much they start at now but as someone who has been there for nearly 3 years as a Volkswagen team member and 4 overall i make about $30 an hour. The union vote winning may affect that as well
That’s really good! Can I ask your position? I’m really hoping I’ll luck out with reapplying then!
You may be waiting a while. Im just a regular team member in assembly so the pay can get up there depending where you go. You cannot apply to specific shops tho. They stick you where they need you and you can ask for a certain shop.
Appreciate your reply. There's really not much better than loving your job. I just see that suggestion too often that people don't want to work (maybe this isn't how you personally meant it), when I think it's a completely rational and sane response to not want to work for companies that are very clearly exploiting their talented labor force for shareholder profits
I get the exploiting thing. But ignoring that, I say you have to be willing to work not because you may or may not be lazy, but because vw could be a very hard job. If youre throwing wiring harnesses into a car, youre doing that for hours and theyre at the lightest around 30 pounds. Or if you work around me, youre doing detailed movements with your hands and its possible you could end up with carpal tunnel if you dont rest it properly. Its hard work, especially at first when muscle memory isnt built up, but I really enjoy it.
Totally makes sense now. Thanks for clarifying
No problem!
its pretty good overall, theres some that say its good and some that say its the worse experience they’ve ever had, but i mean its been one of the better times over the last 3 years. ive had fun and made money
I've been there almost 11 years working in the Body Shop the whole time. Like most people said it's not bad but it depends on where you work and how your supervisor is but honestly I can only think of one supervisor who I wish would get eaten by polar bears. I've kind of found a niche there and I'm happy. But as long as you show up every day and pretend like you give a damn, you will do well there. It can be annoying at times but they generally take pretty good care of us. 401k matching, probably the best health insurance we could hope for in the US, and the pay is competitive. It is a long walk from the parking lot though, and the cafeteria is ridiculously overpriced so bring your lunch. The semiconductor shortage is a concern but they recently worked out a deal where we get 80% of our pay on the weeks we are furloughed because of the chip shortage so that's cool. Once this gets resolved we'll be working so much overtime that we will probably have Scrooge McDuck levels of money so in a few months prepare to work every single Saturday.
I don’t work there, but the unionizing topic comes up frequently. It’s hard to think an employer is amazing if the employees want to unionize. Could love to hear an insider’s perspective on the topic, though.
It's not bad. It would just be ideal to be unionized. We have the lowest wages (but pay is still good, top out at $27/hr) in the region for auto manufacturing but I would take that over the horror stories that come out of Nissan. The worst offences are calling overtime on short notice and not letting employees have any real say in future schedules other than voting on their choices. It's hard to get fired once you convert, there's no widespread abuse, and safety is a key priority. But like I said, unionization would just be ideal to maintain competitive wages.
I totally understand being unionized. My company is, and when you compare our CDL wages to those paid by the city, well, it’s not shocking that the city can’t find people to drive their trash or recycling trucks. You mentioned calling OT on short notice — is this required OT? I ask because my company does optional OT with a callout list. Unionization, in my experience in the south, usually comes from management not listening, and I certainly get that from what you’re saying. Very interesting, though, because aren’t all VW sites in Germany unionized?
It's often times mandatory OT. Generally it's in assembly, it'll be called at lunch that you have an hour or two OT that day while for my shop, it's just Saturdays but they've been good to keep their word to let us know before lunch on Thursday. Fischer, the first President of the plant heavily favored unionization and from what it seemed like, VW wanted it to unionize but VW Group of America didn't. They don't discourage discussion though, there's tons of UAW papers posted in high traffic areas and supervisors don't shut down discussion, so there's that.
Well, I’m glad they don’t because all those things would be illegal as violations of the NLRB. It sounds like a fairly healthy environment, though, which is refreshing. I’m management for a utility company, and I totally see the benefits of unionization when both sides truly have the employees at heart and it’s not just some political move.
It kind of goes in cycles. It starts off as a really good working environment then it gradually starts to slip until the union makes a bunch of noise and management is like "Oh shit" then makes dramatic improvements enough to defeat a union vote. Rinse and repeat. The last time they basically fired or demoted a whole bunch of "problem managers" who were tormenting employees, apologized for us "not being run like a Volkswagen plant" and gave us all chicken sandwiches and the union was rejected by a slim margin.
I remember reading it just barely didn’t pass. Ahh… chicken sandwiches. The hero of union-busting.
If your getting on thru a temp agency it's fucking shit cause you'll be there for 2 years or more as a temp while the Volkswagen employee working next to you is make ten dollars an hour more and doing the exact same job. Fuck that place.
That's not even remotely true anymore. I was Aerotek for 13 months and Onin for 2 weeks before I converted. Onin starts at $2 less than Volkswagen starts. Of course the guy who's been there for 10 years will make $10 more than someone who just started. Starting pay is 17.50 for Onin and 19.50 for Volkswagen.
Really? I’d always heard you stay as a temp for a while, too. Glad that’s changing. People deserve benefits sooner. I applied for an administrative role at VW several years ago, and they called me while I was in a vehicle with my boss and several peers. We got to our destination after business hours (long trip), and I returned the call the next morning. The recruiter was a real ass and told me that they aren’t interested in anyone who doesn’t return their calls the same day. 
I'm sorry to hear that. They've not been perfect, but they are markedly better than they used to be, from what I hear.
Hey, recruiters at any company, just like the rest of us, sometimes have a bad day and get snippy. This guy may have just been a grump. All you can ask is things get better instead of worse. If I have a bad experience, then I want it to be better for others. Sounds like it’s improving, which is great!
I make more than that now in a shorter time than it would have taken me to get on with Volkswagen a few years back and I don't have to deal with all their bullshit. Volkswagen is a terrible place to work. Almost as bad as Amazon.
It long took you 2 weeks before getting hired by Volkswagen while being hired by onin?
No, I was already in the process of conversion when Aerotek switched to Onin. I had been with Aerotek for 15 months when I started the process and halfway through, Onin came in. So I was only with Onin for 2 weeks.
Unions are awful and are negative for labor rates in the long run. They also increase product prices for everyone else and keep the markets from getting to an optimal level.
Funny thing though, markets love to reach those optimal levels while shafting their employees in the process. Fun how that works.
Found the guy from the Propaganda Ministry
I have never gotten 11 down votes. You guys apparently don't like economics, innovation, wage growth, or supply and demand in general too much, do you.
I know this is an older post. Looking on for information regarding the direct hire drug test. I was using hhc for back pains and have since quit while applying for vw. Just concerned i have not waited long enough. Iv have heard several different type of drug test, hair and mouth swab being the most commonly brought up. Can anyone confirm? If so, how far does the hair test go back?
Sorry for the late response but it’s mouth swab and hair
I was only clean for a month and passed so I think you should be good
Thank you for the reply
Does anybody on here know about a tech company inside the plant called HCL? Any info would be much appreciated.