UAW-GM "white book" contract released on web

John Neff — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:03:00 EST

It turns out the 24-page document we showed you last week was not the full UAW-GM contract the two parties negotiated after an historic 40-hour strike, but rather a highlights booklet to make the nuts and bolts of the deal easier for the union's rank and file to digest. The real contract, called the "white book" by union members, has also now hit the web. We found it hosted at Factoryrat.com, all 82 pages of legalese. Some mainstream outlets found the "white book" too and began sifting through its jargon to determine if anything in the official contract conflicted with what the highlights booklet contained. It turns out that what was initially reported by insiders as firm commitments to allocate the production of particular vehicles at certain plants, thus guaranteeing job security through the four-year life of the contract, are actually worded as "opportunities" instead of allocations. That has some worried their job security isn't as iron clad as they believed it would be last week.

Here's a link to a Detroit Free Press article that analyzes the "white book" in more detail because, well, it's Monday and our ADHD attention spans don't permit for in-depth contract analysis.

[Source: Factoryrat.com]

UAW-GM "white book" contract released on web originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 01 Oct 2007 14:03:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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UAW-GM contract details revealed, local leaders vote unanimously to approve

John Neff — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST

Filed under: GM, UAW/Unions

UPDATE: According to Automotive News, the deal also stipulates GM agrees to new-vehicle programs at 16 U.S. plants.

This morning local UAW leaders that represent plants from around the country unanimously voted to approve the contract offered by General Motors that came at the end of a 40-hour strike by union workers this week. Official details of the contract have been revealed, and we now know that GM's contribution to the Voluntary Employee Beneficiary Association (VEBA) will be $29.9 billion, plus another $5.4 billion in what The Detroit News calls "pre-VEBA costs". That's significantly less than the upwards of $50 billion we heard was being offered, but UAW president Ron Gettelfinger insists it should last the union some 80 years.

While the contract was unanimously approved this morning by UAW local leaders, it's the 73,000 union rank and file that still need to vote on the contract. That vote is expected to come by October 10th, and despite a $3,000 signing bonus for those who vote to approve the contract, there are some union members who argue that their leadership has betrayed them. A small but vocal group specifically disagrees with the VEBA and the fact that GM is now off the hook for health care costs. There are many who also dislike the new two-tier wage system that starts off thousands of new hires at a much lower $18/hour rate of between $14 and $16.23/hour. Despite protestations, however, we expect the majority of the UAW's GM workers to fall in line and vote this thing through.

Check out official details of the UAW-GM contract after the jump.

[Source: The Detroit News, Automotive News - sub. req'd]

Continue reading UAW-GM contract details revealed, local leaders vote unanimously to approve

UAW-GM contract details revealed, local leaders vote unanimously to approve originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 28 Sep 2007 15:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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