UAW On Strike

[ATOMonkey]

Our UAW has seen the writing on the wall, and has actually been fairly good about negotiating contracts that will allow our plant to stay open. They switched from profit sharing to the bonus scheme (same as all the salaried employees). They also cashed out quite a few retirees and cut retirement benefits for current workers. They implemented a 2 tier wage structure. I can't remember what they did about health insurance... They did get guaranteed jobs (job banks) for each manufacturing sector.

RTW also means that new hires don't have to pay union dues. So, the UAW has to actually provide a service that people want to pay for.

Because of all this (and other reasons as well), we have made significant upgrades to our facility that otherwise would have just gone to Virginia.

 

[ATOMonkey]

Lets put some of this on "Old Barry" OK. That POS was the anti Christ walking the earth.

But yes, that entire thing sucked but how much of it as by design.

One hand washes the other.

 

[KLB]

I can understand why police officers on this site respond the way they do when they are lumped in with the trouble makers. I've tried not to be snarky, but it is difficult when people make assumptions and then make stupid statements. I don't know how many times I read, "consider the source" or "we don't know the whole story" but that doesn't happen when it comes to those lazy union workers.

For example, I used to have a job that would take me three hours to finish. The rest of my eight hour shift, I would play cards, watch movies, sleep, whatever. Without knowing the whole story, it's easy to think "what a lazy, good for nothing union worker", but I'll give the Paul Harvey. In that three hours, each person moved over 30 tons of product by hand. OSHA has limits on how much can be moved per hour, but we could move 2-3 times the amount per hour. Management didn't complain because they could put another line out. Now, that job has been replaced by robots that can't do in eight hours what we could do in two. Why go to robots if the worker was more efficient? Everyone who worked that job has some kind of permanent injury. Robots are cheaper.

Wait. The company gave a job to robots that used to result in all of the workers getting permanent injuries, and this is a bad thing? That is exactly the kind of job that robots are good for.

 

[Rookie]

You misunderstood. I agree that robots are better than injured workers, but I'm sure somebody would have been along with, "if workers are so much better, than why are they using robots?".

 

[HoughMade]

Profits before honoring a contract.

If someone isn't honoring a contract...that what lawsuits were invented for.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I have a hard time following the pro union mentality. If sitting around doing nothing and getting paid it’s fine because you’re “following the contract“, how is striking because you want more money than your contract is providing OK?

It seems that no matter the situation, unionized members clearly seek their own betterment, and get offended anytime this challenged. And, I am out for myself as well. But I’m not pretending that I am not.

Whethrr you are building cars or kicking a soccer ball, it always seems to be the same thing

 

[bwframe]

If this strike isn't resolved for a while, wonder how it will will effect the mentality of the car buying public?

 

[Rookie]

I have a hard time following the pro union mentality. If sitting around doing nothing and getting paid it’s fine because you’re “following the contract“, how is striking because you want more money than your contract is providing OK?

It seems that no matter the situation, unionized members clearly seek their own betterment, and get offended anytime this challenged. And, I am out for myself as well. But I’m not pretending that I am not.

Whethrr you are building cars or kicking a soccer ball, it always seems to be the same thing

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ing-offer-uaw-workers-missed-mark/2410615001/

"GM has said it offered an improved formula that would boost profit sharing. The biggest issue seems to be that GM's offer did not include temporary workers."

"It was silent on two key UAW issues: Evening out pay for "in-progression" workers hired since 2007 who are paid less than legacy workers; and creating a path to permanent employment for temporary workers. GM is known to want more flexibility in using temps."

If tier one (the majority of union workers - for now) where out for themselves, why would these be issues? I can try to explain how the negotiation process works: anyone can make a proposal at the local level (and there are some ridiculous proposals). They are all gathered and voted on whether they should be sent to national or not. Once at national, they are negotiated at contract. Like I said, for now, tier one is the majority. We could have squashed the tier two progression and the temporary workers issue if we were only looking out for ourselves. However, I don't think it's right that the person working beside me gets jerked around on pay and job security when we are working under the same contract.

 

[hoosierdoc]

I’m planning to buy a used Yukon next year. Better not get more expensive

 

[hoosierdoc]

https://www.usatoday.com/story/mone...ing-offer-uaw-workers-missed-mark/2410615001/

Profit sharing? Isn’t that usually done through stock dividends? If they want to offer profit sharing, wonderful. But demand it? Come on…

To clarify, is the union contract something that should be abided, or tossed out the window when convenient? If the latter, then it can be done by the employer as well as the employee.

 

[Rookie]

If they agree to profit sharing, I don't understand what your issue is. Since they have agreed to it, wouldn't you have a problem with not getting it when you're working under the same contract I am?

Feel free to give an example of where the union isn't abiding by the contract. Btw, the contract is often ignored by both parties when it benefits production. For example, we aren't to relieve operators if the job requires crossing the laundry system/monorail aisle for safety reasons. This is something that both parties agreed to for safety reasons. However, we routinely do it (and both parties know we do) because it's more productive.

 

[Rookie]

Another thing that I don't think everyone understands: our "temporary workers" work 8-16 hour days, 5-7 days a week. They have been doing this for months and sometimes years. Since this is the case, why are they temporary? There is no difference between the job they do and the job I do. The only difference is they are "temporary".

 

[HoughMade]

Is GM free to hire permanent, full time workers who are not members of the union?

 

[Rookie]

Is GM free to hire permanent, full time workers who are not members of the union?

Considering, there's no contract between GM and the union, yes they certainly have that right.

 

[HoughMade]

Considering, there's no contract between GM and the union, yes they certainly have that right.

I meant on a regular basis.

 

[Rookie]

No.

 

[BugI02]

Unions are like lawyers, many people don't like them until they really need one

 

[rvb]

Is GM free to hire permanent, full time workers who are not members of the union?

.....

No.

isn't IN a right-to-work state? are you saying you have to be part of the union to work there?

 

[Big Flounder]

.....


isn't IN a right-to-work state? are you saying you have to be part of the union to work there?

No you do not. You can opt out. Had a couple of people do that before Indiana became right to work. Not sure of the details but one guy cited religious beliefs I know. He did that decades ago. Not many opt out though.

 

[hoosierdoc]

Another thing that I don't think everyone understands: our "temporary workers" work 8-16 hour days, 5-7 days a week. They have been doing this for months and sometimes years. Since this is the case, why are they temporary? There is no difference between the job they do and the job I do. The only difference is they are "temporary".

It is called a loophole. Just like certain deductions, people find ways around onerous contracts or regulations