Pontiac GTO Forum - View Single Post - Oshawa Camaro Plant Worker Fired For Camaro Photo Leak

05GTO · 06-11-2008, 11:54 AM

Story from Popular Hotrodding by Johnny Hunkins

Quote:

Oshawa Camaro Plant Worker Fired For Camaro Photo Leak
Popular Hotrodding by Johnny Hunkins

When I heard the story, which was later confirmed by news reports, that a 28-year veteran was fired for accidentally leaking pictures of the 2010 Camaro, I was flabbergasted. Yeah, I know it’s GM’s official policy not to comment on future products, and all GM employees agree up front when they’re hired to follow their non-disclosure policy, but I think the punishment is way out of line for the crime. Here’s what happened as I understand it.

GM sends the message: don’t do as we do, do as we say…

This electrician took a few photos inside the Oshawa plant with his cellphone cam to show his teenage kids. The kids then shared the pics with their teenage friends, who without permission posted them on the internet. GM’s detectives were able to trace the source of the photos to the source, and promptly fired him. No gold watch, no pension, no nothin’ for 28 years of service.

Some of the comments I’ve read on message boards like camaroz28.com aren’t terribly sympathetic of the Oshawa, Ontario plant electrician, and I understand why. The guy made a promise that he clearly broke, but that ain’t the end of the story.

The new Camaro has broken a lot of new, untested ground at GM. For one thing, no car under development at GM has garnered so much attention by the media and the public prior to being released. And for its part, GM has done little to squash rumors and photo leaks. In fact, GM broke with a long-time policy not to release uncloaked spy photos by releasing a whole spate of them in the months of April and May 2008. So many Camaro spy photos were “unofficially” released by GM, that there is absolutely no important design element or mechanical detail that remains unknown to the public at large. Topping this off was an uncloaked test session at Germany’s Nurburgring in which Road & Track magazine was allowed to clearly photograph the car for its cover (months prior to this particular offense), and verify its performance by timing laps.

Now understand that GM’s non-disclosure agreement with its employees is not the “law,” not even in Canada, where the offense took place. Enforcement of the code by GM is discretionary, because it’s a broken contract, not a broken law. Given the Camaro’s media feeding frenzy, and GM’s full support of it, I think the summary firing and suspension of all benefits of a loyal long-term employee is appalling, the mitigating factors being that the guy didn’t profit from it, he didn’t knowingly distribute them to the general public, and GM has already provided complete and revealing photos to the media. A more fitting punishment would’ve been a suspension without pay or at reduced pay, or to fire the guy, but with retained or reduced pension benefits.