Chrysler Auto Workers Caught Drinking During Lunch, Possibly Smoking Pot (VIDEO)

UPDATE: Chrysler has indefinitely suspended 15 workers from the Jefferson North plant in the wake of Fox 2's report, according to the WSJ.

Fox 2 Detroit busted a group Chrysler auto workers during what appears to be a particularly raucous lunch hour.

In the segment, reporter Rob Wolchek, acting on a tip from a plant worker, follows a group of workers from Detroit's Jefferson North plant who used their lunch hour to journey to a local park. Wolchek approaches a group of workers, who appear to be drinking beer and smoking some sort of substance. "Hey, guys I hate to be a buzzkill, but shouldn't you be building cars?" Wolcheck asks. Last July, President Obama paid the Jefferson North plant a visit.

The workers were observed in the park "day after day," Wolchek reports. After seeing the video, Scott Garberding, Chrysler's senior vice president of manufacturing, told Fox 2 Detroit:

"I'm very, very disturbed about what I just saw in the video and I want to make it clear that we at Chrysler take it very seriously. For us this behavior is totally unacceptable and will be dealt with swiftly. In fact, we've already identified a few of the people involved in this incident. Each of them has been suspended indefinitely, without pay, pending further investigation. We'll continue to pursue this in fact, until we're done. "

WATCH the Fox 2's video:

Comments

[sk8queen]

08:32 PM on 10/10/2010

Event thought this is not much in the way of news, there are millions of perople who would love to have those jobs and would drink after work.

[ODowd Debra]

03:36 AM on 10/02/2010

What the hell were you thinking Wolchek, Detroit is drowning and a life-vest was thrown in the form of government loans and you come along and stab it with stupidity,,,,way to go DUMMY !!

[ODowd Debra]

03:32 AM on 10/02/2010

hey

[American 53]

12:25 AM on 09/29/2010

Way to go Fox. Now there are 13 families that are without jobs. Some will most likely loose they're homes. Sure they should have been dealt with but many manufacturing facilities have been letting employees get away with it for year. It's a shame you wrecked lives over something political. No you didn't make them drink etc. but you made a political issue in regards to the bail out. The company had no choice but make examples out of them. There should have been some kind of punishment but nothing would have been good enough. Those people were off the clock. I don't condone drinking at lunch at all, but again I don't condone making an example of a few. And the story was presented on Hannity like all autoworkers wer like this. Not true.

[dblohangel]

08:13 PM on 09/28/2010

This ain't news!

Back in the day Toyota found 1 in 100 defective vehicles acceptable...in the last 10-15 years American manufacturers have found it acceptable to have 1 defective vehicle in 4 made.

I wonder how many vehicles will be recalled since this has come to light again?

[Js420]

08:06 PM on 09/28/2010

Fox news helping make America safer. Now if they would just go after lawmakers

[PrimaDiva]

04:12 PM on 09/28/2010

managers doin it too but in their offices

[Kinga Blanka]

03:26 PM on 09/28/2010

I'm glad this article/video was posted because it really shows how serious this issue is, there are many people under the influence of alcohol and drugs while working who are endangering the innocent lives of others and that is not justifiable by any means. It is pathetic and shameful.

[Morgantheaxe]

07:11 PM on 09/28/2010

I just framed an entire workshop "under the influence of beer." It turned out better than anything you could possibly dream of building and I would put it up against anything any pro would build any day of the week and twice on Sunday. Yeh this is soooo serious and shameful. Pfft...go jump of a cliff you sissy marry over the top cry baby.

Oh and the only thing that was injured in the process was my brother in laws pride because he couldnt dream of building one himself.

[Kinga Blanka]

08:23 PM on 09/28/2010

It IS shameful and pathetic what these workers almost got away with and hopefully the rest will be caught as well. In this case and in many other cases such as truck drivers under the influence, alcohol and drug use is not justifiable by any means. Writing poetry or painting while under the influence for example is one thing, working with heavy machinery, building cars, driving etc. is another...

[WindySailor]

12:25 PM on 09/28/2010

Isn't drinking on the job a union right?

[Morgantheaxe]

07:12 PM on 09/28/2010

Should be. Drunkeness ...now thats a different story. But hey come tell me I can drink a beer while I work.

[Bert Juneau]

12:05 PM on 09/28/2010

Hmm the drinking I can understand that being a violation, but aren't workers allowed to smoke cigarettes on their own time?

[plan-uts]

09:24 AM on 09/28/2010

The most disturbing thing I saw was that they all drove FORDS. What does that say about the Chrysler products?

[dadw5boys]

07:07 AM on 09/28/2010

Company my son works for has to women who stay high smoking pot they have even flipped a van while high and still keep thier jobs.
The drug test covered up to keep th cost of insurance low .

My sons fears for his life at work all the time when they are around at what accidents they are waiting to happen. He goes to school full time in the evenings and can't relax enough to even study at work as they are always pulling pranks around the job site.
There are no other jobs around here right now so he is hanging on while these dopers put his life at risk every day !
If it were me I would have already smacked them down in the dirt and made it clear they would not be getting high at work when I am own the job. The Boss be damned for putting my life in danger not firing these doper.

But that is just me .

[LightShadow62]

04:29 AM on 09/28/2010

Update:
Company executives will take disciplinary action as soon as they sober up from lunch.

[GoodRead]

11:35 PM on 09/27/2010

I grew up in Detroit, this is nothing new and is THE reason to never buy a car built on a Friday (getting stoned) or a Monday (hung over). Tesla and Aptera will be building cars in California and California is considering legalizing pot. California also (still) has critical aerospace and defense manufacturers whose employees will be able to legally get high on pot if it's mnade legal.

But what really burns me, is that Chrysler worker driving the Mustang ...

[Desert minstrel]

11:39 AM on 09/28/2010

What makes you think that it will be legal to smoke pot on the job if pot is legal in california? Alcohol is legal in california, but it's not OK to be under the influence at work. I suspect pot will be similar.

[Bert Juneau]

12:06 PM on 09/28/2010

I think if your performance is substandard - you can be fired - no matter what the reason.

Aptera - is still just a dream at this point. Tesla - is not a union company - and they can fire anyone they want - anytime they want - for any reason they want.

[jeffrey678]

11:32 PM on 09/27/2010

In Europe they have Beer taps in Nuclear Power Plant Cafeterias ! I am not kidding you!

[Morgantheaxe]

01:34 AM on 09/28/2010

Careful they will call you a liar. You know the ones that have been programmed to think an adult drinking a beer is a crime waiting to happen.