UAW On Strike

[Hookeye]

Many of my old coworkers have died from.cancet.
Salaried folks too. Think 4 out of 8 techs in one area of production got a dreaded " one in two million" brain cancer

None that got it survived

How many hourlies have had similar?

For some a union job was good, they did good work and had comfortable lives. Some were jackasses and lived way better than they should have. Others got hurt or sick.

There is no justice IMHO.

Some folks obviously overpaid. Some underpaid.
Some should have paid the damn company.

But again......that crap happens everywhere...in non union and non auto jobs too.

 

[KokomoDave]

My mom died of liver cancer from working in the Fabs of Delco Kokomo, same place I work except it is now GMCH LLC. We have had 4 people pass away from ALS (Lou Gehrig's). Numerous other leukemias and skin caners that have nothing to do with skin damage. More and more kicking it all the time. I just wanna retire soon before something else goes bad in my body.

 

[hoosierdoc]

GM stops paying for health care coverage for striking UAW members

Wait... if you quit working your benefits stop?!

 

[ljk]

As I was told this morning by friend number two, GM is having record profits, they need to share the wealth.

Absolutely.

[h=1]U.S. government says it lost $11.2 billion on GM bailout[/h]

https://www.reuters.com/article/us-...2-billion-on-gm-bailout-idUSBREA3T0MR20140430

 

[mmpsteve]

Wait... if you quit working your benefits stop?!

The Horror. I'll just keep paying the 3 grand for myself and employees health insurance with the high deductible. Thanks, Obama. 'Course we're non-union, and nobodies felt the need to strike in 34 years. The downside is I can't take Caribbean vacations and drink umbrella drinks.

.

 

[jamil]

No, it was a polite way of saying, "what a stupid response", but since you won't let it go...

First of all, as a tier one employee, my yearly pay is right around 60k. In order to hit 80k, I have to put in a lot of overtime. For this discussion, I'll use the 80k people get so worked up about.

The point that was being made was that the same people that are complaining about the $80,000 workers don't have a problem with paying one person $22,000,000. A little math shows that one person's salary would pay for 275 workers. I'm sure she's important, but does she do the job of 275 people? No ****ing way. I have no problem with her making her salary, but I have a problem with the same person whining about my salary. The problem isn't one person making 80k, it's 50,000 people making 80k. Is it our fault that the company needs 50,000 employees? My department has 200+ employees on my shift, I guarantee that they would miss us before they missed her. Yet, they still complain that we're costing so much money while conveniently ignoring what they are paying themselves. That's the point that was being made. You want me to take a pay cut? You want me to pay higher insurance premiums? No problem, but LEAD BY EXAMPLE. Don't expect me to make all the sacrifices while you're still raking in bonuses and raises. Instead of trying to understand what the point was, you reply with "talk to the board of directors". That's why I replied with...

I'm really not interested in having this kind of discussion. I'm sorry about ruffling your feathers. I am not begrudging anyone for what they're making. If you and your employer agree on that amount, that is your business. The only thing I might want to say about whether you make too much or too little might be about impact to the market. My only points above were about specific things said. Like so-and-so makes too much. Well. Who gets to say what's too much? That's a valid question and I don't intend any snark with it.

That question works both ways you know. How much is too much for a union employee to make? How much is too much for a salaried person or executive? The only people who have any business answering that question is you when it's involving your wages, and the people you're negotiating with. But, unless you're a shareholder, you're not in on the CEO's salary negotiations. That's why I said, if you don't like what she's making, talk to the board of directors about it. You really don't have a place in that negotiation. What she makes isn't really your business. Again, that's not snark. That's just logically speaking. It's between her and the people she's negotiating with. However, though you have no stake in her compensation, she has a stake in yours because she's in on the employer's side of the negotiation.

As far as value of labor, you can't compare the value of a CEO to the value of general labor. It's not that it's because the CEO does the job of 275 people. The two jobs are incomparable. The CEO's value is determined by the board, with stockholder's approval, and it's more market driven than what you make. Your wage is driven by collective bargaining, for however much you can leverage from the company. And their position is the same. Whatever they can leverage out of the union. In terms of manpower, the CEO does a completely different job. How many workers is a CEO worth? I dunno. How many crewmen is a captain worth? How many apples is an orange worth?

So about fairness, when the market turns downwards, and they ask you to make concessions, all while profits are down, it does seem unfair that executives still get bonuses while the laborers take concessions. However, if it's in her contract that she gets guaranteed bonuses, it's as fair as it needs to be. You accepted your contract. Maybe she's in a better circumstance that she can make better demands for hers. It's just a different world.

BTW, I did understand the point. It doesn't seem like you're spending much effort thinking about mine, because it pissed you off. I didn't intend to **** you off. But I am saying it matter-of-factly and maybe that comes off as snarky.

 

[jamil]

For those who haven't been paying attention, I'll restate my position.

I'm not interested in gaining anything for myself this contract. I make enough money to comfortably support me and my family. I'd love to see my cost of living allowance returned, but I'm fine without it. I have no desire to give up my insurance benefits. What I want to see is a clear path for part time workers, and a better pay scale for new hires. Everything else is a bonus.

This is good. I generally have a negative opinion about Unions, mostly from working in factories for half my career. I remember one union contract, the union voted to **** future "brothers" so that current employees could get more stuff. But care about others is good.

 

[KokomoDave]

Me either. We get 40 hours. Decent wage but vacations have to be saved up for. I don't own a credit card. I had to save up prior to me being on sick leave right now. I get zero overtime as most millwrights aren't in the special crowd that our services are not needed on weekends or after 8 hours per day. I am blessed to have my job.
We are hired by a third party non-partisan party from out of the area. Strictly tested, interviewed then drug tested. I almost couldn't pass the drug test cause after smoking thos 4 blunts, I wasn't ready for the purplle microdot acid. Meth was next after that and if you could hang with the big dogs, lines of coke was mirrored. I was so messed up after...I could barely ride my Harley home!

 

[KokomoDave]

More about Mary Barra, she is a native Hoosier. Her dad was skilled trades in tool and die. He paid for her entie college so she had no student loans. That is all.

 

[churchmouse]

Me either. We get 40 hours. Decent wage but vacations have to be saved up for. I don't own a credit card. I had to save up prior to me being on sick leave right now. I get zero overtime as most millwrights aren't in the special crowd that our services are not needed on weekends or after 8 hours per day. I am blessed to have my job.
We are hired by a third party non-partisan party from out of the area. Strictly tested, interviewed then drug tested. I almost couldn't pass the drug test cause after smoking thos 4 blunts, I wasn't ready for the purplle microdot acid. Meth was next after that and if you could hang with the big dogs, lines of coke was mirrored. I was so messed up after...I could barely ride my Harley home!

Hookers and blow.

 

[KokomoDave]

Churchmouse, you were there too!!?

 

[churchmouse]

Churchmouse, you were there too!!?

Over in the corner........

 

[Big Flounder]

I'm not interested in gaining anything for myself this contract. I make enough money to comfortably support me and my family. I'd love to see my cost of living allowance returned, but I'm fine without it. I have no desire to give up my insurance benefits. What I want to see is a clear path for part time workers, and a better pay scale for new hires. Everything else is a bonus.

Yes! Same here and I think you'll find that most UAW employees striking right now feel the same way. At least that's what I'm hearing from my coworkers.

 

[KokomoDave]

Speaking of salaries, the salaried people have no cap on the bonuses while we are maxed at $8000.00 regardless what kind of profits GM makes. Look at Mary Barra's bonus. Hokey smokes! I can't understand that kind of money just for doing your job you were hired to do. If I get any kind of extra money, it goes 100% to my individual retirement fund. I can't trust GM to give me the pension they promised. I've seen what they can shed themselves of janything ust to make a profit. Yes, I own stock / stake into my job. I also buy Chevy trucks. I will give my discount to anyone that wants to buy GM as I need a job. I'm not the smartest guy in the world but I got this much figured out.

No, nothing said on here gets me rankled. It IS the internet after all!

 

[bwframe]

I feel for you fine folks that are effected by this. I wonder how many related smaller suppliers and contractors are starting to feel this or worried about it?

With all due respect, I will add a smart-assed comment:

It's good to hear that there are folks out there who can afford a new GM pickup.

 

[Bennettjh]

I feel for you fine folks that are effected by this. I wonder how many related smaller suppliers and contractors are starting to feel this or worried about it?

With all due respect, I will add a smart-assed comment:

It's good to hear that there are folks out there who can afford a new GM pickup.

Our delivery driver from Hubler Chevy was just at our shop. He said they're having trouble getting parts from GM now. So far everything we've ordered for our shop has been available.

 

[Rookie]

GM stops paying for health care coverage for striking UAW members

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.freep.com/amp/2361671001

 

[HoughMade]

https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.freep.com/amp/2361671001

GM could have been nice and continued it and maybe that would have caused less anger....heck, they can keep paying the striking workers too. That would really make them popular.

Last time I checked- no work, no benefits. Let the union take care of them.

 

[GregD]

I have been out for a few years. But, the union dose cover the benefits.

 

[Thor]

Many of these strikers argue about the many years of experience they have and how that should impact their pay. Most really have maybe 6 months of experience times how many years they've been there; but it's never worth more than 6 months. Most any viable human could be taught to do the same thing in 6 months; the multiple of years mean no more than that.

Want to see what unions do to a city? Go visit South Bend, Detroit, Gary etc. Go ahead and strike, eventually the capital will go elsewhere.