maintenance technician

process technician

forklift operator

automation technician

assembler

Dura Automotive Systems LLC

I worked at dura for about 5 months. I gave very clear communication in the interview that I could not work O.T during the week due to my family's tight schedule. I was told there wouldn't be much O.T but they work 12 hours a day and mandate Saturdays and Sundays. If they dont get the volunteers they need for OT, they mandate lowest seniority and if that person cant work, they get a point. Management told me the whole time i was there "this wont last long, we'll be back to normal soon." Many times during my time at dura we ran out of necessary components to run the line and get moved to other areas, or sent home. Then we're told we should be grateful when we have to work Saturday and Sunday. The person in charge of ordering components should have been fired several times when I worked there, but we had to pick up the slack. If you have people problems, management brushes it under the rug until it escalates into a screaming match and then blames the victim. I guess if someone works there more than 20 years, its ok for them to treat women poorly and sand bag their team when they feel one of the other operators isn't working to their liking. Most people that work there have been there 20+ years, and are very much "yes men". They dont ask questions and just comply. Everyone who works there absolutely hates it, but nobody will stand up and say it. The morale on the production floor is awful. There is zero appreciation for how hard those people work. Especially when the line workers are the ones who dig management out of a mess they create. The pay sucks for the amount of work and problems we had to deal with on a daily basis. If you have any sort of priorities or a family that needs you outside of work, this place is not for you. If you want to work like a dog 12 hours a day and all weekend, this place is a good fit for you.

As a cell leader for the two-cell assembly line, I would have to assemble a tire carrier from each cell and test them to make sure they were up to quality standard, I would make sure my workers had all the components needed to assemble the product. I would assign a starting spot for each employee and they would rotate every hour to reduce repetitive motion injuries. Fill out lot traceability and production reports. Test five parts from each cell twice a day to make sure they were within the quality standards set by customer. I would relieve workers for bathroom breaks when necessary. Listen to any concerns they may have and report things that were beyond my capabilities and/or responsibilities to the supervisor. The hardest part of the job was problem solving when parts were substandard due to substandard components. This was time consuming and stressful on my body due to the many tests I would have to perform to bring the product back into customer specifications. I learned how to use a torque and tension tester and dillion machine. The most enjoyable part of my workday was interacting with my workers. We always got along well and looked out for each other.

I came in early to set up everything in my work station so when start time came, I was in full swing. I learned if you wait until start time to do all that, there isn't enough time for unforeseen events, like finishing required numbers in the face of downtime. K2XX co-workers were great. We worked together like one person, giving us all the satisfaction of a job well-done.

The hardest part of the job was switching to 1st shift. For me, that was a mistake. I discovered coming in at 2 and 4 a.m. didn't work for me nearly as well as 2nd shift. If I hadn't made that move, I'd still be there today.

A typical day at work required a combination of speed and accuracy. I always started early so when the start-of-shift buzzer sounded, I was already at full speed, making motors and welding electrodes. The 1st shift team had the same concept.

when i went to work at the factory in 1992,I had never worked in a factory before,so that in its self was an exsperience, I was what they called a floater, so i had learned how to run most of the jobs there which i like doing, i never knew what job i was going to do until that morning,i liked it that way because you didnt get caught up in all the drama working on one line every day,, the bosses kept you on your toes,but that was there job,dura was a good clean place to work at,the hardest part of my job was working all the over time for so long, dont get me wrong the money was nice,and losing my job after so many years of working there is the worst part.the best part of working there was meeting so many poeple coming and going, but the ones that stayed as long as i did became my family,working at the factory was  good n fun n hard n sad n frustraiting at times but i wouldnt trade the exsperience at all.

The jobs I had I did like.  But, I had felt the management didn't know what they were doing.  The situation with that that was probably because, it is the automotive industry and, one month there would be all types of production and, hours.  The next month there would be hardly any then they would have to lay-off people.  


The workload is high, especially as some departments are understaffed and in need of experts. It is a great place to cut your teeth, especially if you are an expert learning the value of your work or learning to set limits and create your own environment.
I learned a lot at Dura but there was little chance to grow. Unless you left the company or someone quit and you were immediately under a higher ranking employee, in which case, you had a 50-50 chance of actually getting professional credit by way of title or compensation change.
Work projects are as successful as you make them unless it is a large team project but there is variety in assignments, which is a positive. 


Duras new electronics branch which is held at Head Quarters in Auburn Hills is very unorganized. Circuit boards are strewn around all areas of the shop. Production manager is too worried about his own reputation in the company and not paying attention to the actual production processes, and/or upkeep of responsibilities of those beneath him in management order. Some employees in higher paid positions sit or walk around if there isn't a demand for them to work on a machine or do updates on paperwork/processes. Definitely a higher level of favoritism for some and a demand towards others to do their jobs at different levels of performance based on whether you are liked or not.

I really love working at Dura. My manager and co-workers are great to work with. We always help each other out when we can. All of the employees are very friendly and easy to approach to talk about new ideas or approaches to problems that may arise. However, I don't feel that there is very much communication from upper management to our level (or at least my level). We always end up hearing things through the grapevine so to speak. Never a clear, decisive direction or plan, at least not until it is already implemented. Dura has a great deal going for it. I just hope those of us trying to make the company the great place it is to work aren't sacrificed for short term gains.

I was there for almost six years and I loved the people I worked with. My problem was with the corporation and management. 12 hour days became the norm, rather than splitting or hiring for more shifts. If you want a day off, you better hope no one else does or u get denied. The union allowed the corporation to raise the price on medical insurance paid and it wasn’t Allowed in the contract, which should be thrown out because no one follows it. Don’t be injured or sick, cuz they hate that and will watch you very closely. People pass their retirement age will not leave, so others can move to another line/position. If you get lucky to win a position, it’s probably for a worse one.

It's environment where only the bottom line dollar counts! Daily struggles with getting suppliers paid - so cash flow problems exist, Leadership worried only about making themselves appear good to their bosses - communication skills terrible within the plant. Safety and Quality improvements do not exist. Structure and discipline to adhere  schedules and meetings poor. Overall, an old plant not being maintain, Associates skills low while the do their best to maintain and operate equipment they struggle do to lack of training and knowledge, and the turn over is high at all levels (Logistics Manager, Engineering Manager, and Operations Manager all resigned in matter of 6 weeks).  I would not recommend working at Dura.

Top Job Titles	Average Salary
Maintenance technician 4 salaries reported	$28.06 per hour
Process technician 4 salaries reported	$23.95 per hour
Forklift operator 2 salaries reported	$16.00 per hour
Automation technician 1 salary reported	$30.50 per hour
Assembler 5 salaries reported	$15.00 per hour

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