Complaint Review: NSK Steering Systems - Bennington Vermont - Bennington Vermont

Imagine:

You have just wrapped up a splendid day with your family at a public event. You, your spouse and your children are now on the interstate headed home. You are traveling at 65 MPH but suddenly, your steering column locks up. You cannot turn your vehicle into another lane. Your only saving grace is your breaks, seatbelts and airbags. Let’s hope this never happens to you.

Unfortunately, if the steering system in your vehicle was made at NSK Steering Systems located in Bennington, VT – this tragedy could become a reality.

NSK – Their engineers, stuffed shirts and big wigs will deny this until they are blue in the face - that such a thing could ever happen. They are prevaricators (liars). Nothing more. Nothing less.

Every morning, when I open my eyes, I shuffle toward my television set, first turning on CNN, then CBS, NBC, ABC, etc – and I expect to hear about a catastrophe – like the scenario I painted above, to air on my screen – leading to NSK. It’s only a matter of time. Let us not doubt it.

Here is a rough break down of how things at NSK work -  The Lathes start the process with the raw materials. They generally make a number of shafts and different components that will be assembled on the different lines – Mercedes, Tacoma, Highlander, Honda, Subaru and others. Not all of the time, but in some instances, these parts aren’t made well – or, out of spec. When this happens, Q.A. gets involved – as they should. Most of the times, QA will let these out of spec parts go to the lines.

Here you have the bosses, team leaders and lead techs running the lines and telling the employees and temps that even though these parts are hard to work with, because they have not been made properly, to do their best – or do what they have to do to make these components fit together. After all, employees must meet their quota every day and NSK must make their money. They cannot have their funds tied up in non-productive workers and sub-assemblies sitting on skids – tying up their cash.

Now, please-this is what you must understand. Employees are already working 10 to 12 hour days 6 to 7 days a week. They are tired, drained and exhausted. The last thing they want to do is wrestle with inferior parts, but – that is what they are told, in most cases, to do. So, they do their best –and sometimes hurting themselves in the process. Some of the employees don’t bother with their safety checks, because – they are tired of the long hours, having their morale lowered by the micro management that occurs there – like a death camp. These employees are harassed all day to make their quota and in most cases, they do. UNDERSTAND THESE INFERIOR PARTS ARE ON THEIR WAY TO YOUR CAR.

They are taken out to the warehouse where they are screened by the 200% line. These are a group of usually, temps-hired by the local temp agency- some, with very limited educations-to try and catch the mistakes that may have occurred on line. Sometimes 200% catches them and sometimes the substandard columns make their way to Ann Arbor, MI or Dyersburg, TN when they go through more tests, etc-sometimes these facilities find the bad parts and they are returned to Bennington – but even sometimes, they make their way to the customer – Honda, Mercedes, Toyota, etc. They have installed the steering columns into the vehicles and bad results have happened. After this, the Bennington facility is contacted and QA issues a large number of alerts – most ignored after a few days.

How do I know this? I was employed by NSK Steering Systems for many years. I started back when they were Nastech. Things have changed a lot over the years. I have already written one RIPOFF REPORT concerning some of these issues, but this one will be a bit more in detail. NSK has told any press who have asked or customers - that they do not ship bad parts. They are liars. Pure and simple. They are lying to you all. When asked about the first RIPOFF REPORT, NSK does not like to respond, but if pressured, Ben Nichols, Ethel Hutton (HR) or maybe Kazunori Iritani – V.P. of manufacturing, tell everyone that a “disgruntled employee” posted that letter/article. I am not disgruntled, I am merely telling the truth about this facility. They talk about safety in meetings, but ship inferior parts to their customers and treat their employees like dirt . A small, personal, side-note. How delighted I was to hear the names you all threw around – about whom wrote the article. Did you really think I worked on the floor with most of you and not in the offices above? Why, an extra key to Mr. Iritani’s office can be found right under the desk near the elevator. On a hook, next to the drawers. For years, I had access to everything.

This should alert NSK that I may have damaging records.

Yes, indeed, if you are driving one of these vehicles with a NSK steering column, this could be of some matter to you.

I have heard that much attention was given to the fellatio in the parking lot and the drugs on 3^rd shift. There are drug users there on all of the shifts, the people on third are just more careless. It was only days ago that one employee found a syringe in the parking lot. He turned it into H.R. Apparently, he was told not to discuss this with anyone and when he uploaded a photo to the Internet, there was hell to pay. The incredible thing is – it is not just the line workers who are abusing drugs – it is the lead techs, team leaders, bosses – and I will name names.

What’s sad is-you all laughed about the drugs and oral sex in the parking lot. People are driving around with inferior steering columns in their cars and that’s all you could focus on?

Now, many of the employees are complaining about mandatory overtime – having to work 10 to 12 hours a day 6 to 7 days a week – and they have every right to complain. Who wants to work like they are in some forced labor camp? Shame on you, NSK – people have families, children, spouses and lives they want to live – and all you think about is the mighty dollar. Since Superman Mike Jones took the helm, the place has been a mis-managed madhouse. Workers walk around with broken spirits, sad and constantly complaining. You can see the sadness and fatigue in their faces. Some have quit, others have been fired because they cannot comply with the Auschwitz –like conditions. Sure, they have a paycheck but people live to work – not work to live. They work their employees to the point of physical and mental exhaustion and consider this to be good business ethics?

To the stuffed shirts in your offices: How are you going to spin doctor this? Not only do they ship inferior parts, but the way you treat your employees is an absolute disgrace. NSK does this because they understand clearly they are the only game in the eroding town of Bennington that pays as well as they do with health insurance. The market is cornered for work – people have families to feed, rent to pay, bills, like you and I – and they treat their people despicable. I am sorry if you never see your children or spouse. NSK could care less.

I hate to get personal. I should just address this on a strictly professional level, however, management refuses to investigate or care about these issues, so I will.

Let’s start with our biggest offenders:

Chris Wilkens #1. Not only has this man known inferior parts were being run on his line, but has told many of his employees to do what they must to get them out under any circumstances. Mr. Wilkens treats his workers like complete garbage under his feet. He portrays himself as a Christian who attends the church every Sunday here in town. Mr. Wilkens even has a sticker on his car – I LOVE JESUS. Well, Mr. Wilkens – it’s wonderful you love Jesus but Jesus would not treat people like you do. What would Jesus do? Not what you do, sir.

Tom Sonic – new to his title, he is already parading around, looking down on employees and throwing around his weight. People like Mr. Sonic and Mr. Babson love to tell their employees – with no advance – that they are on 10 or 12 hour days 6 or 7 days a week. The employees are then left to scramble to find baby sitters, or neighbors to take care of their children and animals. I have heard stories about Mr. Sonic making employees cry. He, Jarrod, and Mike Jones might find this amusing – but employees all talk and this has even reached me – this is disgusting.

This is not an isolated case. Many of the new team leaders and Lead Techs are throwing around their weight. You are all pathetic.

Scott Glausha, why are you asking people for Percocet? This is a drug-free work place.

Dan Johnson, Dave Pratt’s brown-boy. This man smokes more marijuana than Cheech and Chong. Should he not be tested and escorted out immediately?

Mathew Gaghich, the king of stabbing others in the back. The things he says about his people on Highlander is a disgrace. The Judas of NSK.

Ralph Leonard – Mr. Leonard seems to always be taking days off, but it’s a no-no with his employees, even if they are very ill. Mr. Leonard has a sharp tongue with his people, yelling and swearing at them like garbage.

Darlene Hopkins – Yells at her people continually. She has found her way climbing up the corporate ladder for treating her people unfairly. Many of the workers on her line cannot stand this woman.

Ethel Hutton – The queen mean of HR. This woman, with zero people skills has no business being in HR, the way she strong arms employees – against their will and threatens them with their jobs.

Ashley Sweet – Continually giving employees wrong information. Why does this woman have such a large office? Ethel’s yes-woman.

Ben Nichols – Many like the new head of HR. I have heard nothing terrible about Mr. Nichols and he seems to be fair at his position. Unfortunately, for him, he landed in a huge pile of feces when he took the job with NSK.

A sad fact. There are probably many of you sitting around the break room right now, reading this to others. You are all laughing and in agreement. You will run home and post it on your Facebook. You will make copies and place them in the break rooms. You will scribble little things in the bathrooms about what a horrid company NSK is but you all shake in your boots when it comes time to doing anything. You let the stuffed shirts in the office, your team leaders and your Line Techs lower your morale, yell at you, swear at you and treat you like garbage. YOU let NSK treat you like this and say there is nothing you can do. You all talk about doing something, but that is all it is – talk. You all go home tired, beat, whining and drag yourself in the next day to let them do it to you all again.

One word: UNION.

It only takes one person to start the revolution. Think about it. Just one.  Are you that one?