Mary Barra in 2018
GM CEO Mary Barra has released a statement addressing ongoing contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) labor union, accusing the UAW of “upping the rhetoric and the theatrics,” rather than working towards an agreement. UAW President Shawn Fain has made multiple public accusations against GM, including not negotiating in good faith and “hiring violent scabs.” GM and the UAW have been in negotiations since July, with the union announcing strikes at all three of the Big Detroit automakers following the conclusion of the previous labor contracts on September 14th.
Barra’s latest statement was published to a GM website dedicated to providing the automaker’s latest updates on the 2023 UAW negotiations.
“As we saw this week, UAW leadership continues to expand the strike while upping the rhetoric and the theatrics. It’s clear that there is no real intent to get to an agreement,” Barra writes in the new statement. “Since negotiations started this summer, we’ve been available to bargain 24/7 on behalf of our represented team members and our company. They’ve demanded a record contract – and that’s exactly what we’ve offered for weeks now: a historic contract with record wage increases, record job security and world-class healthcare. It’s an offer that rewards our team members but does not put our company and their jobs at risk. Jeopardizing our future is something I will not do.”
Barra goes on to say that UAW leadership have sought to “drag their membership into a long, unnecessary strike to further their own personal and political agendas,” referencing leaked internal messages in which UAW Communications Director Jonah Furman reportedly states that “if we can keep them wounded for months, they don’t know what to do,” adding, “this is recurring reputations damage and operation chaos.”
Barra goes on to accuse UAW President Fain of wanting “to make history for himself” at the detriment of the UAW membership.
“Serious bargaining happens at the table, not in public, with two parties who are willing to roll up their sleeves to get a deal done,” Barra states. “The UAW is pitting the companies against one another, but it’s a strategy that ultimately only helps the non-union competition.”
The UAW is currently employing a targeted strike strategy wherein members at only certain facilities are called upon to strike, rather than all facilities all at once. The strategy is expected to provide UAW negotiators with greater flexibility. The UAW has expanded its strike twice since the initial targets named earlier this month, with additional GM and Stellantis facilities targeted one week after the initial strikes, and additional GM and Ford facilities targeted this week.
The UAW says that it will not target additional facilities if substantial progress is made in negotiations. It’s estimated that 25,300 UAW members are currently on strike, with 146,000 workers represented across all three automakers.
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Quite frankly Barra or Fain don't represent company or worker interests, just Biden's. That's where they have got themselves and good luck with that.
I’ll never understand the union backing the democrat look what they’ve done to our country bunch of clowns take your ev and shove them up your ass
I’ll never understand the union backing the democrat look what they’ve done to our country bunch of clowns take your ev and shove them up your backside
Ironic how as long as the shareholders and CEOs are making millions and billions off the backs of the labor forces and no one says anything, the state of the economy is going to be just fine, BUT!, As soon as it comes time to give back to the Labor forces what's owed to them and what they need to survive, all of a sudden there's all of these conspiracy theories on how the whole economy is going to come crashing down.
Nothing is owed to anyone. You work at the pleasure of your employer. You are free to find employment anywhere else if you aren't satisfied. Are you chained to a machine? You don't get to pick and choose your schedule and specific job unless your employer asks you to. That's how life works. You don't like it? Leave. Plain and simple.
The only reason GM, Ford, and Stellantis are making such a huge push towards EV is because the government push towards it and trying to curry favor with the Biden team in DC. The natural niche for EV was being filled by Tesla and their world-leading innovation, and GM/F/S could have easily taken the slow road to natural adoption of EVs in urban markets - instead what we are seeing is an unnatural, rushed push towards EVs under the guise of climate change, from the same folks who charter private jets to fly around the world preaching about the perils of carbon-based fuels.
That same EV future that will decimate the UAW's jobs and future. Odd isn't it?
GM gets to own this - happily supporting the D machine that is causing all these short term problems.
Oh, and a 36% raise by 2028 is well in line with past/projected inflation trends.
Is there an echo here?
Plenty of companies in France seem to manage on a 35 hour work week.
Also, plenty of data showing 32 hour work weeks increase productivity and less loss labor hours due to absences. Add to that, it provides more opportunities for those unemployed people to have jobs, as you need more workers to fill in the hours.
Mary should have asked her customers how many wanted an EV. I don’t know anyone who wants one.
The EV is here due to laws that were passed not to gain favor of Biden. If anything they have been trying to get him to give them more time.
Carb also the faceless emissions group in California now writes regulations for 14 states that ac out for near 50% of production.
I less the right makes EV models campaign issues I see little change. I was hoping one of them would stand up and delay these dates if elected. Even then the EV will remain in development as with elections every 4 years auto makers can’t stop development.
GM did send out surveys to current Chevrolet owners. If you answered That you weren't interested in an EV, the survey was terminated. I received a survey for each Silverado (9) and other GM vehicles (6) that I own. I answered no on each survey and each survey was terminated. I wonder how many people responded truthfully?
Maybe get out of your bubble. Pretty much everyone I know is at least interested in EVs as a future option. But maybe waiting for something in a specific vehicle segment. Or price point.
And various consumer surveys say at least 50% of people are considering an EV for their next car.
Searches for used electric vehicles has doubled since 2022.
Yes, they work 35 hours a week and only get paid for 35 hours a week and the French people b!tched about the pay decrease. Do you really expect an employer to pay people for 40 hour and only work 35 or 32 hours? I don't believe more people were hired, as to hire additional people to work for a company cost the company or business a lot of money with health insurance and retirement, I know this from my brother-in-law as he had a business and, could have used help but couldn't afford to hire additional people.
I believe a study found working 4 - 10 hour shifts was better than 5 - 8 hour shifts, as people got a 3 day weekend