Filed under: Plants/Manufacturing, UAW/Unions
Magna finally opens up the doors to unions
Since it's inception a half century ago, Magna has grown into the fourth largest automotive parts supplier in the world with sales of almost $24 billion in 2006. The Canadian company has even gotten into complete vehicle assembly with its purchase of Steyr-Daimler-Puch a few years back. Of all the things Magna has done, the one thing it's never tried is negotiating a union contract. Magna plants up until now have now never been unionized. For the first time, the company has reached an agreement that would allow the Canadian Auto Workers union to try and organize the companies 61 Canadian plants. The company will stay neutral as the CAW conducts organization drives. It will be interesting to see if this new policy gets extended to Magna's US plants and the UAW, as well.
[Source: Globe and Mail]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
SPG 6:20PM (10/15/2007)
Things are going to be so screwed up for everybody because of this.
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Ducky 6:21PM (10/15/2007)
I just hope that Magna knows what it's doing... the impact of the CAW/UAW on the Detroit 3 haven't been positive, to say the least, and it's not like Magna's plant employees have been mistreated (they even have an employee charter of rights)
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JMa 6:25PM (10/15/2007)
I hope, for the employees sake, that the union drives fail (just like the CAW drives at Ontario's Honda and Toyota plants).
They have a really good thing going at Magna, and I would hate to see them lose it.
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ryan 6:25PM (10/15/2007)
i wonder what positive they see coming from this.
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Vivek 6:32PM (10/15/2007)
I have always wondered...Is there anything in the UAW's contract with the Big Three that says if they build a plant in the US, it has to be unionized?
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elprogramer 7:33PM (10/15/2007)
Yes.
Guenther 9:29PM (10/15/2007)
Indirectly- there are stipulations that work that COULD be done in a union plant shall be done there.
elprogramer 7:33PM (10/15/2007)
Personally, I hope the best for everyone involved.
Collective bargaining doesn't cause as many problems as the vast majority here seem to think, and if they keep their heads about them, then they'll be fine.
Problems arise when the two sides fail to see the solution that benefits both parties and a stalemate ensues or one caves and they both lose. However, as these last two UAW contracts have demonstrated, there's a much more symbiotic view in Detroit these days.
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Billy C. 9:23PM (10/15/2007)
Hello?
The UAW contracts as currently negotiated are a lose-lose proposition at best.
bison 10:21AM (10/16/2007)
> Collective bargaining doesn't cause as many problems as the vast majority here seem to think [snip]
Well if that's true, then why don't we let GM, Ford and Chrysler get together in the same room and decide how they're going to negotiate with the UAW.
Victor 7:51PM (10/15/2007)
Ha-ha-ha, it's a very smart plot to finally get rid of that mobster that goes by stupid name – Buzz. You know, Russians now own a big stake in Magna, so we should see how Hargrove manages “negotiations” with Russians mafiosi, that will be fun to watch!
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WooHoo11 8:17PM (10/15/2007)
R.I.P. Magna. Anyone up for starting a new parts company? We should be able to come in cheaper and still a ton of business. I look forward to hearing about all the canadian jobs lost to mexico, china, etc. Good job dummies.
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paul34 11:49PM (10/15/2007)
Sorry for being the stickler today, but:
"try and organize the companies 61 Canadian plants"
I believe it should be
"try to organize the companies 61 Canadian plants"
try and organize --> try to organize
thanks =D
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iQuack 12:19AM (10/16/2007)
Given a choice, I'd rather buy ANYTHING made by non-union workers.
Why? Because union workers think they work for their unions instead of the companies that pay them.
Unions are parasites that ultimately kill (or nearly kill) their hosts.
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Du 6:42AM (10/16/2007)
Uh, Magna has been union in Austria (Graz) for years now. Granted the union there has very little power, but they are still unionized.
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elprogramer 8:37PM (10/16/2007)
They already do.
Brian 2:51PM (10/16/2007)
They just slit their own throats.
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