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UAW Sues GM In Hopes Of Keeping 3 Plants Operating

The United Auto Workers union filed a lawsuit against General Motors over semantics regarding the idling of three U.S. factories, according to The Detroit News. The UAW alleges GM violated the 2015 GM-UAW contract agreement—the Plant Closing and Sale Moratorium portion—by using “unallocated” as the term to describe the factories GM plans to idle. The UAW hopes to keep the three affected plants open until September when the current contract agreement between the two entities expires. 

When General Motors announced its restructuring plan last November, the automaker said the plants it planned to close—four in the U.S. and one in Canada—would be “unallocated.” The UAW alleges the use of “unallocated” was a deliberate move by the automaker to avoid “idle” and “close,” words addressed in the current contract between the two sides in 2015. General Motors says its November 26 announcement does not violate the 2015 UAW-GM contract.

GM Lordstown Plant Exterior Home of the Chevrolet Cruze poster

The UAW is looking to keep Lordstown Assembly, Warren Transmission, and Baltimore Operations plants open. The UAW did not include the automaker’s Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly plant as GM has already extended operations there through January 2020, which is beyond the expiration date outlined in the current agreement. Detroit-Hamtramck will continue to build the Cadillac CT6 and Chevrolet Impala.

Days after GM announced its restructuring plan, the UAW announced it’d formally challenge the automaker’s decision. While Unifor has taken a more vocal stance against the automaker, the UAW did call join Unifor in calling a boycott of the Mexican-built Chevrolet Blazer. United Auto Workers President Gary Jones recently wrote a column for the Detroit Free Press calling for more U.S. investment from the automaker. 

GM has maintained its position on its restructuring, calling for both the UAW and Unifor to help affected employees transfer to other GM factories. GM says 2,800 will be affected by the closures. However, the company has 2,700 open positions at other factories. Hundreds have already accepted transfers to new facilities. 

Anthony Alaniz was a GM Authority contributor between from 2018 thru 2019.

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Comments

  1. ***

    REAL NEWS TODAY

    “Fiat Chrysler Invests $4.5 Billion in Detroit to Grow Jeep and Ram Brands, Create 6,500 Jobs”

    So what are your excuses now Sea.n and A.lex? Chi.na, Chi.na, Me.xico, Me.xico?

    Shame on GM. When foreign-owned auto companies are investing more and more in the U.S., it just makes GM’s said and tired excuses look even more pathetic.

    ***

    Reply
    1. I had to look this up myself as I thought you might have been joking…

      Shame on GM would be an understatement. Retain/Add 5000 jobs, expanding production of existing products and adding electrification.

      https://www.forbes.com/sites/greggardner/2019/02/26/fiatchrysler-investment-shows-it-may-be-strongest-of-detroit-3-a-decade-after-bailout/#6a366ec053c9

      I love the title of the Forbes article as well:

      “FiatChrysler Investment Shows It May Be Strongest Of Detroit 3 A Decade After Bailout”

      I love GM. I’m a GM guy. I can’t stand the crap they are pulling, and some of the mediocrity they are producing. They have the plants, the workforce, they have no excuse to put them to use instead of Mexico and China. I understand having some of those plants to satisfy their home base markets in those countries, but for GM and the NA operations, its no excuse.

      Honestly, I wouldn’t put it past them to head to bankruptcy again or come really close to it. If FCA jumps their reliability game up significantly, I may shop elsewhere.

      Reply
    2. The shame should be on you LOL.

      GM announced investments of about 1.25% of this amount at LDT and Romulus powertrain last week. This must have been especially challenging for GM considering they made record profits the last few years. Furthermore, GM spent about 50% of this amount on its ENTIRE North American manufacturing base last year.

      These contact talks will be interesting this year. I know a lot of anti-UAW people who are actually sympathizing with the union because GM and Barra are so greedy.

      Reply
    3. Yes Fiat-Chrysler has already got rid of their small cars. They are expanding trucks/SUV/CUV. The difference is no one cared about the cars they were discontinuing.

      Reply
      1. Another difference: Ford and FCA read the trend four years ago and responded accordingly. The $22 million woman just had an epiphany last fall.

        Reply
  2. Reply
    1. FCA is adding American jobs; GM is jettisoning American jobs and destroying American communities.

      Reply
    2. Dear Scott3,

      Some of their profits go overseas because THEY ARE A FOREIGN COMPANY! THEIR RIGHT!

      At least they are investing in America unlike GM which thinks Communist China is it’s master. So how do you think GM started and built operations in China in the first place? Out of thin air? It took AMERICAN PROFITS and spent it in China!!!!!

      Oh, and where does the employment and land and business tax money go when GM builds in China? Hint: not the U.S.

      You keep spewing the same B.S. but most aren’t buying it.

      Reply
      1. Lol. GM is a global company with gobal revenues coming in from every continent.

        The money that is used for Chinese investments are probably incentives by the Chinese government to invest in their countries.

        Reply

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