New Management at GM gives workers hope.

You, the American taxpayers own 60 percent of General Motors after the government bailed out the automaker.

Now new leadership is determined to turn GM around. CEO Fritz Henderson stepped down and Ed Whitacre, the former ATT CEO, is taking charge.



Workers at GM Shreveport say and hope this new direction could save their jobs. Nbc 6 reporter Karen Hopkins toured the plant and discovered how it’s changing to become more competitive.

Jimmy Patterson knows trucks. He's worked on the line at Shreveport GM for nearly 29 years. “I helped set up this plant when it first came here.” Since then, the company has struggled with sinking auto sales followed by bankruptcy. “We have to change with them and be competitive with other manufacturers.”

That's the plan of new GM CEO Ed Whitacre “Ed Whitacre has demonstrated a lot of transparency,” and that means paying more attention to workers like Wanda Grahm. “I am the quality control person.”

Now she'll give more feedback to managers, all to improve the product. “The factor we play in becoming more profitable is building the world’s best small pickup trucks,” Michael Dulaney says.

Another focus is becoming more efficient. Starting January the plant will cut its energy bill 20 percent by moving employees from a 5 day work week, to 4 days with longer hours. “I love the idea of switching to four days a week because it gives you extra time to spend with your family.”

Plant manager Michael Delaney says one of Whitacre’s first moves as CEO, was reversing the decision to sell the Opel brand. That gives him hope, Shreveport’s scheduled date to close, June 2012, could change. “If we can pick up sales, if the economy turns around if our quality improves we get more demand who knows what gm may look at between now and 2012.”