GM Pulls Benefit Package From Striking UAW Workers At Delta Township; More To Follow?

[Perian]

Link: http://biz.yahoo.com/ap/080514/gm_strikes.html?.v=2

GM notified striking workers at its Delta Township assembly plant near Lansing that they are no longer eligible for health care or life insurance benefits from the automaker.

"GM is well within our contractual rights to discontinue their benefits for the rest of their strike," the company said in a statement.

Workers at the Delta Township plant, which makes GM's popular Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook crossovers, have been on strike since April 17. The company is allowed to discontinue benefits on the first day of the month following the start of the strike, so it could have canceled the benefits as early as May 1.

A UAW local at another plant in Kansas City, Kan., which makes the popular Chevrolet Malibu midsize sedan has been on strike since May 5, so GM could cancel benefits at that plant as early as June 1.

This marks the first time GM has canceled striking workers' health and life insurance benefits since a 47-day strike in Flint halted production nationwide in 1998.

The United Auto Workers union is picking up the tab for workers' health benefits, according to a union official at Local 602 in Lansing. The UAW is also paying workers $200 per week in strike pay.

Local 602 President Doug Rademacher told workers Monday in an online message that the company's latest contract offer was "unacceptable."

Full article at link.

[xPUMPx]

i hate all this union stuff, their must eb a way to get back to regular pay for the work you do or something.
they always seem to hit when the company starts to do well at a plant.

[CharlotteFirebird]

Good. Doesn't this get old UAW?? How many times is this recently? Well, I guess Spring Hill might get some extra work.

[YupYupYup]

Finally GM is playing tough with them instead of caving to their every whim! Good job!!! The UAW obviously has no bargaining power left, and GM knows it. The big unions have shot themselves in the foot many times and now they are going to pay for it.

The worse part is the average union member, whether they agreed with being in the union or not, will suffer the most. The corrupt big union bosses won't even fill a pinch in lost benefits or money. Always the way.

[Beau]

What could be so bad about working there, with the money, working indoors, having the benefits?
The only tough life of a assembly line worker is that you may not have a job in several years if the plant is old and cannot be retooled.

[GM-Joe]

Completely Ridiculous.

[gardnet1]

This is great, but why didn't they do that on the first day that they were eligible (May 1st).

GM should start taking job applications and "openly" hold negotiations with other plants, especially in Mexico to use a bargaining tool. I bet you could send ALL the production to Spring Hill too!!!

I'm tired Ghetto Finger bringing down American Auto Manufacturers.

[rmodys]

Finally!

[rcracedriver]

I don't see what the big deal is, thats part of what payin dues is for right? I imagine the AAM strike is handled the same way, and I don't remember any news article about it.

[EldoFan]

This is just a little taste of the future UAW.....hope your nose doesn't get too bloody......

[osiris]

Unions=Grrrr. Siemens... Verizon... I've been down that road. The contract protects unproductive morons with high seniority. The Union places unfair demands on company resources. The company responds by exploiting every contract loophole to make the lives of their employees a living hell. Understandable but not fun when you are at the bottom.

Hey GM! 240,000 workers lost their jobs in the first three months of 2008 so there will be plenty of good talent to draw from. Just fire all those UAW whiners outright and hire better people. Sign me up too!

By the way congrats on the Malibu - the ultimate weapon against your midsize sector import foes.

[poncho1982]

While I agree in principle, that Unions SHOULD be a good idea. The reality is, that they don't work. Too much corruption.

Glad to see GM doing what they should have done a long time ago.

[chakis24]

good. gm needs to play hardball with these guys.

its too bad that a few bad eggs ruin it for everybody.

[fastrehotrods]

Good, glad to see that they're finally taking a stand. I've known too many good, hardworking people that lost their jobs overseas. Now these UAW workers have it made... but now they want more??? "**** 'EM!"

[OldsReliable]

Coming from the unionized Germany, I must say that while they were a vital part of the emancipation of the working class, it is now just hindering the free market and cases more outsourcing. But everybody already said that. Where are the strikebreakers here?