UAW members in Ohio aren’t warming up to General Motors‘ proposal, according to ABC’s affiliate in Bowling Green, Kentucky, WBKO.
The publication spoke to Barry Brown, a former union-represented worker at GM’s now-closed Lordstown Assembly plant in Ohio, who said the deal still did not provide a clear pathway to employment for temporary workers, as it required them to have uninterrupted work with the automaker for three years. That means that if they were laid off for a month, for example, the process to be hired on as a full-time worker would restart.
“Even if you’re a temp out there, and you’re looking at this contract and you’re going to get a $4,500 signing bonus—if you look at the fine print, you got to have continuous service to get hired,” Brown told WBKO. “So it could be right up to the last year, and you get laid off for 30 days. You’ve got to start all over again.”
The ABC affiliate says workers at Bowling Green Assembly, the sole plant for the Chevrolet Corvette, had expressed “cautious optimism when learning about the deal.”
The UAW remains on strike while the ratification vote proceeds. Union members began turning ballots in on Saturday and the results of the vote are expected to be revealed this Friday. It is uncommon for the union to remain on strike while voting on a manufacturer proposal—though it has happened in the past. One automotive industry analyst told Fox News that the union’s decision to remain on strike likely means it is remaining cautious with regards to the proposal and isn’t sure whether union members will vote yes or no.
While the UAW was able to get GM to bend on certain issues such as a path to employment for temporary workers and healthcare, workers are still expressing concern about the closure of Lordstown Assembly and its Warren and Baltimore Transmission plants. If ratified, the deal will see GM allocate electric vehicle production to Detroit-Hamtramck, which was previously set to close in January 2020, but job security at the plant would hinge on the success of GM’s various EV programs. The plant would employ around 2,225 workers and produce about 80,000 vehicles per year when running at full capacity.
GM was forced to suspend production of the Chevrolet Blazer crossover at its plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico last week due to a parts shortage brought on by the ongoing UAW strike. The Chevrolet Equinox remains on production at the automaker’s CAMI plant in Ingersoll, Ontario—though production of that crossover could be at risk as well should the UAW decide to vote no on the contract proposal this week.
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Comments
GM cannot guarantee employment. There should be at least a 1-1 clause, one permanent retires that opens a spot for a temp to go permanent. The UAW is simply trying to increase membership… GM should not acquiesce…
774 in Tonawanda is right there with you! No job guarantees whatsoever. Trucks and SUVs to be produced in Mexico. US jobs from EVs limited. No one can tell us about the $7.7B investment in US factories. $11,000 payout so you can take my job later
“US jobs from EVs limited. ”
The UAW should not dictate future product plans. Build what is put before them from what market research has determined and what engineers have laboured over, or let them or suffer the consequences of their inaction.
No cola no retirees raise no allocation to closed plants no commitments to bring work back from Mexico can’t tell you where the 7.7 billion investment is gonna be made . Electric vehicles require less workers resulting in future job losses. 11000 signing bonus where do I sign. The race to the bottom continues.
Union GM people make great pay now with excellent healthcare. They are greedy and although I want to see made in the USA , think they should build more in Mexico and close all manufacturing in the US.
You and your family’s jobs should be outsourced to Mexico or replaced by 401B visa holders. Then you can really cry about something.
The company I work for has been in business for over 100 years and they are still privately owned. Not too many companies can say that and be in business that long. We have great healthcare compared to other jobs around especially for manufacturing, and profit sharing which is good and kind of bad at the same time. If we have a bad profitable year we don’t get much in the profit sharing, but when we do good which is the majority of the time we get a pretty good amount.
On topic I never worked for a union, I heard bad from people who have, but I can see the point this guy is making. If a temp worker is trying to become full time and it takes 3 years to do so and they lay off due to slow sales or whatever. That person would have to restart all over to become a full time employee. If I was reading that right, that doesn’t seem like a too hot of a deal. Yea the signing bonus is great but, if I wanted to get a retirement it would take forever.
Vote NO !!!
How is a multi tier pay scale and 3 years as a temp with no guarantees to permanent status SOLIDARITY ??? Looks like the UAW leadership is all talk and fake slogans.
No guarantees that they will not close anymore plants and send those jobs to Mexico. This contract is just a buyout for older members.
Go ahead and vote no ohio…ask your god trump to spare a few millions to soothe your feelings.
I’m in my late 40’s & the majority of my family & friends DO NOT want electric cars. However, the government is pushing this mess just like they push everything else on us Americans. Look at all the failures in programs, schools, & industry all because the government got involved.
GM would run over & take advantage of their employees if they didn’t have a union in my opinion. Is the union perfect? Absolutely not, but at least someone is looking out for the American workers. If GM or any other company for that matter truly cared about its people & not solely on profits they wouldn’t be moving jobs to Mexico & other countries. I ordered a truck a month ago & learned the order still has not gone through. Am I mad, no I’m proud of the workers standing up to save their jobs & keep them right here where they belong in OUR COUNTRY!!
Folks this just didn’t start today with jobs leaving the USA. I remember my first marriage in my early twenties (1993) & her father coming home upset because (NECo) Sunbeam decided to move the MS based plant to Mexico. This was one of only two plants in the US that made the special wires for heating pads & electric blankets. They asked him to go to Mexico & train the workers there on his job. He refused, got severance pay, & was forced to retire after 30 plus years on the job. So jobs leaving this country is NOT something new at all because that was almost 30 years ago. Think about that for a minute & let it sink in. That American based company turned their backs on the American worker almost 30 years ago & never looked back as they locked the doors for the last time at that American home town factory. I’m proud to be an American & I support American jobs!!!
As a UAW/GM retiree, I see the new deal as a bad deal. Played right into GM’s hands with the plant closure issue, they had no intention of closing Hamtramck, or they would have when they axed Lordstown The smoke and mirrors of the temps path to being permanent is certainly not a clear path. Don’t think GM won’t be counting their time, and lay them off before getting 3 yrs in. That is long probationary period, it used to be 90 days. All this is intended to take current members attention away from the greed and stealing going on at the international level. As for us, the retirees, the ones who seen GM through the years, as usual, not a dime. Gone and forgotten.
Hey larry the people have other choices to buy besides your gm products. An awful lot of korean vehicles on the streets of america along with all their commercials on television. Just being a temp is not the road to a permanent job for the rest of your life.