UAW Bargaining Talks Officially Begin
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Prepare for a whirlwind of news from the United Auto Workers union and the Detroit Big 3. Bargaining and negotiations to ratify a new labor agreement began on Monday with ceremonial handshakes at Ford, General Motors, and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles.
However, this year is expected to be a choppy ride as both sides work to achieve goals. Automotive News (subscription required) detailed the situation as talks begin, and it’s clear automakers and the union are far apart on many issues. Notably, the union wants to further close the gap for newly hired workers to earn top wages. In 2015, the union succeeded in doing away with two-tier wages for employees, though all three automakers agreed to an eight-year “grow-in” period to keep costs under control.
The UAW wants to shave at least one year off of the time period to help workers earn higher wages. Also potentially up for debate are profit-sharing bonuses. As automakers cry foul about a forthcoming economic downturn, UAW members may seek to share profits a different way. That could mean higher wages and less of a profit-sharing bonus check for members.
While a lot of the pent up anxiety has surrounded GM’s moves to unallocate assembly plants in the U.S., UAW members working for each U.S. automaker have job security concerns. This comes as more electric cars are planned, which notably require fewer moving parts and lack some entire systems found on today’s cars. The union said 35,000 jobs are at stake when it comes to increasing electric vehicle production. It will seek to have UAW members build future battery packs and cells, which are often done outside of the U.S. or at a factory with non-union labor.
Health care, temporary worker usage, and plant investments are all part of the discussions as well.
All of this comes as the UAW showed it’s not afraid to start targeted strikes. The union upped strike pay from $200 to $250 per week to flex its strength. Whether it comes down to strikes remains to be seen. We have two months to see where things fall.
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Source: Automotive News
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Godspeed and new products to the UAW..
the libs are all in for the EVs because of climate change but tesla the biggest producer of EVs their auto workers are non union. how do you square that ??
Stick with your horse and buggy.
gm/ford/chrysler who make their profits from trucks would get rid of their unions if they could.
GM is going to have a brutal time settling with the UAW. I don’t see any chance of a strike not happening unless new product is allocated to DHAM and Lordstown.
if this is UAW plan they will see more jobs moving to mexico. how many UAW members buy cars at employees discount that are made out side the USA ??
On the contrary! If the UAW rolls on these two plants, rest assured Machete Mary will close 4 or 5 more during the next contract. Of course the UAW will have to concede some things as well.
that hexagonal license plate cutout on that cruze looks exactly like the one on the leaked c8 rear. awesome!!!
Unions are as they say, “All hat and no cattle”. They are the dying breed for American workers. They puff their chests and scream at the sky, but ultimately succumb to lesser contracts which further distance themselves from the pay and worker satisfaction of the non-union shops.
While the workers rely on the collective bargaining agreements to come around, hopefully earning a few more cents an hour all the while sacrificing some other benefit, the union bosses clear hundreds of thousands of dollars a year and hob-knob with the fat cat company bosses and politicians.
Good luck American UAW member striking on $250.00 a week, while the bosses keep getting paid the big bucks off your dues. I’m on your side and I buy the vehicles you build for us. It’s just too bad the unions which represent the American workers have become a bigger business than the companies they claim hold you down. As long as they can continue to control your futures through fear and other commie propaganda, the manufacturers will look for other places to do business.
MRB
I follow this blog regularly, and I’m a strong supporter of our domestic workers, and shown that support by buying numerous new Chevrolet cars and trucks over the years and appreciate the effort and quality of those workers, but at the same time leery of the UAW management and their motives. In my opinion, this is one of the most intelligent and thought out comments written on this blog. I agree with everything you wrote here.
the union big wigs also use the members dues money to buy favors for themselves by backing political candidates.
back in the 50s I worked for a company that the union went out on strike for 6 months and end up going back for $0.05 less an hour than the original offer. those strikers never made up the lost wages. I went to work at a non union job and never lost a hour wages in the next 40 years.