The United Auto Workers labor union, otherwise known as the UAW, has filed an unfair labor practice charge against General Motors amid stalled contract negotiations. GM has refuted the charge and maintains that it is still negotiating in good faith. The current labor contract is set to expire September 14th.
Just yesterday, UAW President Shawn Fain provided an update on contract negotiations between union representatives and leadership at the Big Three Detroit automakers, including GM. Fain stated that little progress had been made thus, accusing automakers of using delay tactics as the September deadline looms.
“I told [the Big Three CEOs] that if they expected to drag everything out until the final days of bargaining and then try to settle everything all at once, then they were setting themselves up for a strike,” Fain said.
Fain went on to state that GM and Stellantis had “failed to give us any economic counters,” saying that the automakers’ “willful refusal to bargain in good faith is not only insulting and counter-productive, it’s also illegal.”
“Unfortunately, many employers across the country are willing to break the law and incur the meager fines and penalties that result as just the cost of union busting,” Fain said.
GM Executive Vice President, Global Manufacturing, Gerald Johnson responded to the charge with a statement published to a GM website dedicated to providing details on the latest UAW negotiations, saying that GM leadership was “surprised” by the charge and that it had “no merit and is an insult to the bargaining committees.”
“We have been hyper-focused on negotiating directly and in good fair with the UAW and are making progress,” Johnson states. “The pace of negotiations is based on how quickly both parties resolve nearly 1,000 UAW demands, including more than 90 presented this week.”
UAW members voted to authorize a possible strike last week. UAW President Fain acknowledges that the union’s demand are “ambitious,” justifying the demands based on automaker profits.
“You can’t make a quarter trillion dollars in North American profits over the last decade and expect us to keep aiming low and settling lower,” Fain said. “Our campaign slogan is simple: record profits mean record contracts.”
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How is a negotiation “unfair labor practices?” In a negotiation, anything is on the table including the absurd. GM is 100% in their right to threaten the UAW to replacing them with flying monkeys if they so desire.
Im not in the negotiating room, but it seems to me that the UAW is acting like the brattish child throwing their toys against the wall, and the automakers are the adult in the room. This is getting laughable.
Your right, I have been to the negotiating table and big unions tend to make many claims for their member benefit to justify the delays.
Bad faith bargaining or surface bargaining if proven are most likely ULP’s. The NLRB will investigate and make their determination. It’s not hard to spot bad faith bargaining from the other side of the table.
Let's hear it for the $29 million in compensation that Mary Buick Envision Made in China-Barra received in 2022. Let's also hear it for the over $200 million in compensation that Mary Buick Envision made in China-Barra has received in the past 9 years.
Once a bitter pill to the left, suddenly, overpaid CEOs are perfectly fine with the libbies on this board....
Cigna was being sarcastic of course. You can’t pay a CEO multiple millions in compensation and expect the union to lay down and take it. Chevy is making record profit and it’s time to share.
I am however predicting a strike caused by management, just so they can reduce inventory. Two or three weeks at the most.
What will be effect of the strike on the 2023 models on the lor? I suspect that rebates will go and add on MSRP prices will return. Last time IWas shopping for a Blazer and the up price was $5000.
Chevy has a lot of Silverados on the lot, they need to go before the 2024s come out. The strike won't be long, but you're right rebates will go and more dealers will add onto MSRP.
Inventory is low on all models or you would see incentives now . The UAW demands are real a strike will cripple the local economy. There is a reason dealers are asking for large deposits on vehicles . They need it to keep paying their bills if a long strike takes place .
I got the sarcasm, which in this case has a lot of truth sprinkled in.
I am not being sarcastic, you have not been following the news very closely, the UAW has researched this matter and discovered that Mary Buick Envision Made in China-Barra did indeed receive $29 million in 2022 and over $200 million the past 9 years.
You own GM stock? If you do then sue for financial malfeasance. If the board at GM isnt putting you, the stockholder first they are criminally liable.
My university i went to (Louisville) had their last president busted for this. He was bribing the board for extravagent bonuses, and using part of that money for the bribes. That highly illegal. If you think shes over paid, sue as its in your right for the company you own part of to not abuse thier funds.
Let's hear it for the record profit sharing checks received by the rank and file...oops, wasn't supposed to mention that. Have to make it look like they are living paycheck to paycheck.
Union was a good thing many years ago. Now that cause the price of cars to become outrageous. I have been in a GM plant, and would say no one in the plant does anything near strenuous. Sorry but I think that they are paid pretty well for the work they do.
Yeah, I’ve heard that crap many times, that the Union was a good thing many years ago. Do you know what the workplace would be like without Unions? I sat next to a United pilot on a flight one time and even he said if it wasn’t for their Union the airlines would be impossible to work for. People don’t typically think of pilots when they think about Union members but most workers that are NOT part of management know how demanding companies can be. The Union helps to level the playing field. Are Unions perfect? Nothing is, however, if the members feel that they are not being represented properly they always have the option of voting new leadership in. And for those that say “yeah sure,” Union elections are regulated by the US Dept of Labor.
Right, I’ve worked union and nonunion. I always did better with a union. I was a member of local 917 IAM for 39 years.
Right on Hank, unfortunately the anti-union crowd is very naive on this subject, they do not research on their own, they get their misinformation from the anti-union media.
Maybe the UAW will soften their demands if Mary Buick Envision Made in China-Barra agrees to only $1/year in compensation for the next 5 years.
GM can only afford to pay the executives the big money. GM is only worried about China and Korea.
No surprise in GM using ‘dilatory tactics’ thinking they will be able to cut a deal by Sep 15, 2023 deadline. I experienced that when I represented veterans at US Merit Systems Protection Board. Even then after accepting a settlement offer from US Postal Service, I had to file a petition for enforcement as US MSPB administrative Judge found US Postal Service to be in ‘breach of contract’ (settlement). Sure it cost US Postal Service more money with interest. However, it did not actually cost the responsible US Postal Service official that signed off on settlement any money our of their own pocket.
I work at a Honda power sports dealer(parts manager) 50 miles north of Kansas City. A UAW member from the Claycomo plant in KC came in the other day and told me how the service people and myself at our dealership would benefit from his huge pay raise if it happened. Somehow our lives would be better. We'll make more money. The economy would be better. that's not going to happen. I told him vehicles would increase considerably. He was definitely in a fog.
Weird that most Americans think they should make more money, but when a group actually tries to get that money, all of a sudden they are brats or jerks, or whatever they're being called.
I will guarantee if you do not work in a manufacturing facility you have no clue how hard it is to get the job done . Not every job is physically demanding. They may be very stressful . For those that think they know everything you know nothing . Every minute is accounted for in a workers day . The wages are not what you think they are . $16 per hr to start very few or no benefits . 4 wage tiers and what it takes to advance to the next tier is unrealistic.
It's often amusing to read some of the comments here from the cell phone and keyboard warriors who despite never working a day in an auto factory, they are experts in how the entire process runs daily. These same people who look at UAW workers with contempt for trying to negotiate a better contract are the same people who butt kiss their bosses for that quarterly bonus all year. Some of you are so gullible that you actually think that if the UAW settled for a 50% wage CUT that the corporation would lower prices on their vehicles accordingly......LOL! The non union transplant workers have benefited greatly over the years from the wage negotiations of the UAW...why, because in attempting to keep the union out of their plants, they offer compariable wages and benefits to their workers. So go ahead and despise your fellow American workers, most of you criticizing the UAW wouldn't last a week on the assembly line anyways.
I have nothing against unions or their members. Unions brought us a lot of the benefits that we all enjoy. With that being said most of my working experience has been in non-union positions. As far as working in a auto plant, union or not, I couldn't do it. Repetitive, tedious work is not my forte. But, a 40% pay increase? A 32 hr work week? Give me a break. I'm slowly getting priced out of the truck market and this will not help the situation.
They’ll probably settle for a 20%increase. You always ask for more than you expect to get, that’s what negotiations are all about.