Contract negotiations between General Motors and the United Auto Workers continued this week after the union rejected an offer that it described as “comprehensive,” yet still short of the mark.
In a statement released earlier this week, the UAW said GM’s proposal, which came on the 15th day of the strike, “did not satisfy (worker’s) contract demands or needs. There were many areas that came up short like health care, wages, temporary employees, skilled trades and job security to name a few.”
The two sides remain far from reaching a deal, it is believed, though neither GM nor the UAW can afford to have the strike carry on for much longer. Union members are living on strike pay of just $250 per week, while the American automaker is thought to have lost as much as $1 billion since the strike began in September.
The UAW has made a counterproposal to GM’s offer, which the automaker has yet to publicly respond to. In a statement released to media, GM said it continues to “negotiate and exchange proposals,” and noted that it remains “committed to reaching an agreement that builds a stronger future for our employees and our company.”
The strike began on September 16, when around 48,000 UAW workers walked off the job demanding increased wages and profit-sharing cheques, improved healthcare benefits and better healthcare, benefits and pensions plans for temporary workers. It is believed that GM is looking to rely more heavily on temporary workers going forward in an effort to reduce its employee healthcare costs.
Around 4,600 of GM’s Canadian employees have been forced to take temporary leave due to the strike, while 6,000 of its employees in Mexico have also been forced off the job. Some of GM’s suppliers have also been forced to scale back their operations or halt them entirely.
Negotiations continued Thursday at the Renaissance Center in downtown Detroit. A Detroit Free Press report indicates the talks are becoming “emotionally and intellectually grueling,” for both GM and UAW negotiators.
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Comments
GM doesn’t honor a contract anyways. They closed 4 UAW plants during the contract which violated the agreement. They agreed to add 400 skilled trades during the 2015-19 contract, but added less than 100. This contract about the UAW being greedy, we have had the same $28/hr wage for 20yrs, new hires after 2007 have had wages and benefits slashed, no pension or retirement healthcare for those hired after 2007, plants have had temps for 5+yrs, GM continues to use employee vacation time during plant shutdowns, forced mandatory overtime, continue to make each plant work for different local agreements, and continue to contract out jobs. They ask us to accept lower wages but haven’t even proven they can sell an electric vehicle. Mary is never held accountable for her mistakes, Maven, Cadillac HQ in NY, the Bolt, Cadillac subscription, and more. Most of the bolts are being sold to Cruise, that’s why they spun Cruise off in the first place. This is America isn’t it? We should all be fighting for more and fighting for each other. Income inequality is the highest its ever been. Mary, top execs, and the board don’t own GM, they use it like a cookie jar to take the money they want and leave the crumbs to the workers. This company is making the most profits in its 111yr history, the most cash and equity on hand, and selling the most vehicles ever. All of this with less workforce making the least its ever made. 20yrs ago GM had 200,000+ employees making $28/hr plus pensions, making every part and doing every job in the plant. Their labor cost is the cheapest its ever been right now. Vehicle prices aren’t up because of labor, its less than 6% at the most, and they PAY $0 in TAXES. Ask yourself why a vehicle made in Mexico or made by a non-union automaker is the same price as a UAW vehicle from the big 3? Its because that’s the market price, the money these companies are getting the consumer to pay for these vehicles. EVs are more expensive and less profitable, Elon Musk can sell all the Tesla’s he wants, he has only had 3 profitable quarters in 8yrs and has lost over $17.5 billion dollars. EVs are made with the same steel and plastics as every other vehicle manufactured, they have a larger production carbon footprint. Have you ever looked up a cobalt, lithium, aluminum, and nickel mines? They are mined by digging up the earth with huge machinery spewing pollution and emissions all over. Its a gimmick and a lie to get you to buy one, that your saving the planet. He does pay his workers $24/hr though, which GM wants their EV plants to top out at $19/hr. No matter if your democrat or republican , union or non-union, gas or EV, we have to have each others back because we are americans. We have veterans from Vietnam to Afghanistan working in the plants, single mother and fathers, people with cancer that come in after a chemo treatment so they can keep their healthcare. GM closed plant and separated families during the best economy in modern history to save $2.5 billion. then they turned around in march and invested $2.7 billion in 2 south american plants to save 15,000 jobs and continue manufacturing in place that they barely eek out a profit. GM can and should do better for the country that saved them, the country where they make the most profits. Yes the union officials are corrupt, but the members vote yes or no on the contract. The bad seeds will be caught and punished. If you pass a picket line, honk and show your support for your fellow middle class worker who is just trying to make it.
then don’t work for GM. If you think you are so skilled and get that pay and benefits somewhere else don’t work for them. GM, Ford and FCA have some of the best health insurance in the world. The workers bitch and moan, however I bitch and moan when the workers can put a freaking screw in all the way and I have to do it. yes cars are expensive and people are buying them. They have to be in other markets to make money. they left the ones they are not making money in. They are trying to keep the company profitable. Contracts are gold and they can be broken at anytime. All I ever see is the laziest people keep their jobs at UAW not the good workers. I know people in other Unions and they flat out say what the people get away with at the UAW does not work at their union. You do drugs, come in work late all the time. Don’t do a good job you get fired. Union doesn’t put of with that. UAW saves jobs for those even if the company wants to fire them. That’s a problem and that’s why people don’t like the UAW.
There is still an issue over temp workers being reported.
Why don’t I see this page share things like this, I think people would like to know
What does the UAW want? They are being offered more security and more pay.
Instead of asking for more from GM why not unite and force all Auto Manufacturers in the USA to Unionize. That is what will drive salaries up for everyone. If you are a UAW member, I would assume you would want a level playing field. We need to stop allowing Auto Makers coming into this Country and build brand new state of the art facilities (Mostly in Southern States) subsidized by State Tax payers and then on top of it allow them to get Tax subsidies for like 5-10 years and pay their work force much less than Unionized members. But nobody likes to talk about that because both Political Parties do not care about Unions.
I am NOT in any Union and far from a job requiring any form of Unionized workforce. I actually have a love hate feeling about Unions in general but from the outside looking in, that is the best solution all the way around. Either that or our Government needs to allow Ford, FCA, and GM to rid themselves all together of the UAW so they can be on par with Foreign Auto Makers in their own Country. It has got to be one or the other. Well at least that is my Non Unionized opinion.
Sounds good on what is stated here, but Elon Musk will not have Unionized employees working for him at all, that much we do know.
All of you people who are not union or who have union jobs and don’t fight for better wages or healthcare from the tight greed of big companies who get rich off your labors, please don’t waste your time quoting what you don’t and shouldn’t have an opinion on.