Teamsters won't cross UAW picket line to deliver parts and cars
click above pic to view more images from the UAW strike
Despite reports that the UAW and General Motors are back at the bargaining table this afternoon, and will be indefinitely, the union appears to be preparing for what could be a lengthy strike. It's now being reported that their brothers and sisters from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will be standing by them, though not joining the UAW strike themselves. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents hourly employees in the transportation and freight-related industries, meaning they're the ones who transport component parts and cars from plant to plant and wherever else they need to go. They have decided to align themselves with the UAW and announced they will honor the picket lines that have popped up at nearly every one of GM's 59 plants. This means that as long as the strike is ongoing, Teamsters don't have to cross UAW picket to deliver their cargo. Their contracts with GM include what's called "sympathy language" that prevents them from being fired for crossing the picket line of another striking union, according to The Detroit News.
It's becoming more and more clear that the UAW is digging in for the long haul on this one, and with little to no response from General Motors in terms of how long it intends to stand firm, the most significant staring contest in the history of the automotive industry has just begun.
[Source: The Detroit News]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 5)
SPG 5:03PM (9/24/2007)
Gotta stand up for what you believe in.
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Dave 5:25PM (9/24/2007)
Puhleeeze. Somebody tell the muckity mucks at the UAW to pull their heads out... this town is in a recession and all they can come up with is a strike. You stupid bastards.
The big three (or two) won't be the big anything if you money grubbing retards don't stop and realize that a janitor isn't worth $ 60K/year and a full pension.
I hope they all join the ranks of the unemployed soon, and the thousands of unemployed people in this town take their jobs because they actually want to pay their mortgages.
Get a grip !!!
unions kill america 5:41PM (9/24/2007)
And unions believe in laziness, entitlement, slacking, and money for nothing.
If union workers put half as much effort into actually working than protesting/picketing/shouting etc., America would be a much better country.
The fact is unions are killing America. We need a country that is not afraid to put in an honest day's work.
SPG 10:14PM (9/24/2007)
You could look at it two ways.
First, that these are people and famlies that do not feel they are getting a fair shake. They feel that their employer is not helping them.
The other way you can look at is that there is honor among theives.
I think it's a mix.
TeknoBoi 5:06PM (9/24/2007)
These people need to realize that their employer might not survive if they can't suck it up and make some sacrifices.
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nissanfreak87 5:16PM (9/24/2007)
agreed, but the main problem seems to be the UAW not wanting to help pay for it's own members' retirement, they don't want to take any money out of their own pocket to help out one of the major contributors to their existence. They need to understand that if they keep this crap up for any period of time GM is going to be in major trouble, and if the UAW contributes to the death of GM(God forbid), I'm sure Ford and Chrysler will be worried about their own butts, this could end badly for all parties involved.
paul34 10:18PM (9/24/2007)
Oh don't worry, they'll realize it once they realize that rather than getting fired, there's suddenly no company left to work for anymore.
Tom 5:18PM (9/24/2007)
TaknoBoi ... Exactly!
Frankly UAW seems like a pack of some of the world's dumbest individuals. "let's bite the hand that can barely feed us in the first place at a company already struggling for market share"
I almost want GM to fail just to prove how dumb a strike is for there to be no jobs for them to even go back to
anyone ever heard of Eastern Airlines?!
They're not working for a company with record sales! Why do they think they can pull this crap and not have it just screw themselves in the end anyway?!
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Seminole 5:20PM (9/24/2007)
It's almost like they WANT to be out of jobs. Take a page out of the airline workers books, suck it up and be happy to have a job. Realize that screwing the employer will just hurt you in the end. As it is right now they are making more than double what the average American household makes. FYI, the average HOUSEHOLD (Everyone in the house's income combined) is right around $45-46,000. These autoworkers are by no means poor. If they want more money, get rid of the UAW and keep the dues they have to pay.
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WooHoo6 2:17AM (10/12/2007)
Screw the UAW. Those idiots may not have a job if they keep this up. I know from which I speak jack, one half of my family is union - GM. Its amazing the pay and benefits these people receive and the guarantees. We should all be so lucky. Only in the auto industry does the employee have so much power. GM is your employer, its time you wake up and realize it. They call the shots and do the hiring and firing. Unions worked back in 1910, not now. R.I.P. GM. Unions have no place in a global free market economy unfortunately. Unless everyone is unionized it doesn't work. GM, I will gladly scab if you need to start up the lines again. $23.50 an hour, plus overtime and bennies is ok by me!
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VW-Guy 5:31PM (9/24/2007)
Good for GM. I'm sure there is no easy answer to this but I'd side with GM and say starve them out. I find it repulsive that organizations like the UAW et al can even exist in todays economic climate, yet alone make demands on pay/benefits/concessions.
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RWD fan 5:33PM (9/24/2007)
Teamsters=UPS, don't forget that when it comes time to click on shipping options people! Click on another carrier. Speak with your wallet if you're sick and tired of this union crap!
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Barney 5:53PM (9/24/2007)
Teamsters is not a carrier, but a union and represents owner/operators as well. You'll find few non-teamsters working against them.
RWD fan 5:35PM (9/24/2007)
Oh, and another thing, not one of those guys pictured on the picket line above look like they're underfed or malnourished!
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Zippy Maboonogian 5:36PM (9/24/2007)
What Gettelfinger and his Socialist cronies don't seem to understand is that the health of General Motors is a whole lot more important than the health of their UAW social club. Since the foreign doemstics have proven that a Union is unneccesary, you'd think the UAW would "get it".
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Tom 5:39PM (9/24/2007)
I guess when reality threatens the only way of life they know (however absurd it is), irrationally acts are inevitable
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Larry 5:48PM (9/24/2007)
BYE BYE GM! (I wish I could demand my $ back from your 1980's disastrous lemons!)
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jgp 5:51PM (9/24/2007)
I'm fairly certain the Teamsters are in violation of the contract between GM and the trucking companies.
Plus, this is an illegal collusion between the Teamsters and the UAW. I hope the Sherman Antitrust Act demolishes both organizations for this.
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Barney 5:56PM (9/24/2007)
NO ONE is required to cross a legal picket line. There can be no contract that would stipulate a union must cross another's picket line. No union would agree to those terms.
Moltenauto 7:26PM (9/24/2007)
Barney: Google 'no-strike clause'. They are not uncommon and can stipulate things such as one union cannot support another union's strike.
Jqp: In this case I read in one of the news stories that the teamsters have a 'sympathy' clause in their contract that allows them to honor the UAW strike. GM probably figured that if they were shut down it wouldn't matter too much if they were getting deliveries or not.