A key part of the labor contract signed between GM and the UAW last year was a second tier of wages for non-crucial, i.e. not involved with building a car, job roles. As higher-paid workers take buyouts and retirement packages over the next few months, the General is allowed replace up to 16,000 roles with lower wages that are half what current workers make at around $14he contract stipulates the total number of second tier jobs, but some union officials say GM has raised the per-plant number at all locations.
[Source: Detroit News]
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Jeff Johnson @ Mar 18th 2008 8:55AM
Wow a complete shocker ... a labor union unhappy with something.
Seems no matter how much negotiating or compromising is done by GM, the UAW is only happy for a few weeks before they find something else to complain about. I'm sure in a week they will start throwing the word strike around.
The economy isn't exactly booming right now, and the value of the dollar keeps dropping, what do people expect?
Chris @ Mar 18th 2008 9:00AM
Well it seems some of the shops are into a numbers game while others are into looking at it from positions and what they do.
IOW - the shops that actually put some thought into it came out with even bigger numbers than GM but the old school hardheads look at it as a quota system.
go figure...
elprogramer @ Mar 18th 2008 11:49PM
Wow a complete shocker ... General Motors unhappy with something.
Seems no matter how much negotiating or compromising is done by UAW, the General is only happy for a few weeks before they start changing the deal. I'm sure in a week they will start throwing the phrase "plant closing" around.
The economy isn't exactly booming right now, and the value of the dollar keeps dropping, what do people expect? People want to keep their wages; it's not their fault the company made the same car in the 80s and only built trucks eight years ago.
tanooki2003 @ Mar 18th 2008 9:30AM
For once GM be bold instead of a bunch of pushovers. Abolish the UAW and go union free like any other normal businesses across the globe. They seem to do better and are moving forward.
rgseidl @ Mar 18th 2008 12:03PM
And how, pray tell, would GM "abolish" the UAW? Joining a union is part of your basic human rights. Besides, GM has massive pensions and retiree health care obligations managed by the UAW that wouldn't go away even if the plants were union-free.
cowboy bob @ Mar 18th 2008 12:48PM
rqseidl- "basic human rights"? Huh? To get a job in a union shop, you MUST join the union. Your "right" to choose is forgone. Your other "choice" is to not get a job there.
elprogramer @ Mar 18th 2008 11:51PM
^I'm a UAW member and GM employee and I don't have to pay my dues if I don't want to. Closed shops haven't existed since the 40s.
Polly Prissy Pants @ Mar 18th 2008 9:32AM
Maybe they should have thought about nailing this down before signing the contract?
Mark @ Mar 18th 2008 5:12PM
agreed! *hehe suckers*