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UAW Strikes Against GM!

31K views 371 replies 132 participants last post by  tonystewart 
#1 · (Edited by Moderator)
STRIKE! UAW Workers Walk Off the Job


DETROIT – United Auto Workers union members walked off the job and began picketing outside of several General Motors plants today after a contract negotiation deadline passed.


The work stoppage represented the first significant contract-related GM labor strike since 1984, when the UAW struck 25 facilities for 13 days.


GET UPDATED UAW-GM RELATIONS NEWS HERE







David Barkholz


The UAW called a strike against General Motors today after UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said he was "shocked and disappointed" by GM's positions at the bargaining table.​

An official at UAW Local 652 in Lansing, Mich., confirmed the walkout at 11:06 a.m. EDT. The UAW said it set the strike deadline over the "failure of GM to address job security and other mandatory issues of bargaining."​

The strike against GM includes about 73,000 UAW-represented employees throughout the United States.​

It is the first stoppage against GM since 1998 when a 54-day strike at parts-making operations in Flint, Mich., shut GM production nationally costing the company more than $3 billion.​




PHOTO CREDIT: AFP


You can see more of the latest GM-UAW strike news,
plus other Union news in our Union and Labor Relations News page​
 
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#252 ·
I must say that I have not seen a lot of understanding or caring displayed by the obvious union members on this forum. "To hell with the economy, you are all a bunch of *******s," is the general tone I am reading. It is going to be very difficult for the UAW to get the "common" man to back this lovely bunch of coconuts... I own 8 GM vehicles currently, and have a passion for the design of the vehicles, not the guy that built them or the company that sold them. The militant menbers of the UAW I am reading on the internet forums have really helped me to decide that the union must be full of spoiled brats. I would like to hear froma calm, rational union member what issues in specific are at the root of the strike, what resolutions they propose, and how these solutions are tenable froma business sense. I know that share-holders are "the enemy," but without their money, there would be no company. They are not fronting money out of the kindness of their hearts, they are expecting a return (as the UAW members obviously are as well).
 
#253 ·
bigbillsfan said:
i'm so sick of this site and it's arrogant members, jealous little people.
People on this site are not jealous at all. They are upset that the UAW (and many other unions) have absolutely destroyed our factory economy. Listen, most anti-union people would not want ANYTHING unions have, because unions like the UAW (and their jobs) will be gone within the decade. Most of us would like to keep our jobs.
 
#254 ·
Well, let's look at one plant. The new one they built four years ago in Lansing to build the CTS Cadillac. A plant worth not just abandoning. So how long would it take to disassemble it and move it via truck to say, Monterey, Mexico? 30 days? Certainly less than that.

How long would it take the Mexicans to pour a slab just like the one in Lansing. Obviously, being fairly new they still have the plans. Probably less than 30 days.

I think GM should move that plant immediately and then tell the Union to go to hell and that they are prepared to move every GM plant within the next 12 months if the union does not immediately make major changes in their operating agreement otherwise in 12 MONTHS NOTHING MADE BY OR FOR GM WILL BE MADE IN A UNION FACILITY!!!!!!!!!

Oh, and I don't consider a bunch of high school graduates who have manage to extort a wage and benefit package equal to $70K a year the middle class. High school educated people are the lower class. The middle class is made up of college graduates that work for a living and rely on their skill and talents, in a very competitive market to survive and prosper. Not some damn union.

I wanted a new CTS V but I may have to modify that to be a car that is made in a facility not run by the UAW.


noelvm
 
#255 ·
I dont know about UAW, but I really wish there was some protection for white collar workers too... By white collar, I mean middle class white collar..

BTW, I agree in principle with UAW... Without any protection, you could be on street anytime with a pink slip in your hand. Even if you are a Ph.D. from harvard... Such is current state of affairs in NA.

It is baloney to think that only lazy people get laid off.. I've seen some of the brightest get laid off for some bizarre reasons other than the company's bottom line.
 
#257 ·
As someone who can see both sides of the union issue, and who has had to deal with unions during my career thus far as an engineer, I'm not really taking a side on this one without knowing the specifics. But I have to ask, for the people here claiming that UAW members are greedy for wanting $50k or $60k a year, what does somebody like Bob Lutz make at GM? Why is nobody outraged at the insane compensation that corporations are providing at the executive level - even corporations like GM that are losing market share and facing financial hardship?
 
#258 ·
Answered my own question:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=GM

KEY EXECUTIVES PayExercised
Mr. Rick Wagoner , 53
Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer of Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp.$ 1.28M$ 0
Mr. Frederick A. Henderson , 48
Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer$ 1.16M$ 0
Mr. Robert A. Lutz , 75
Vice Chairman of Global Product Devel. and Acting Chief Exec. Officer of GM Europe$ 1.16M$ 0
Mr. Gary L. Cowger , 59
Group VP of Labor Relations and Global Manufacturing$ 858.00K$ 0
 
#259 ·
VT Hokie said:
As someone who can see both sides of the union issue, and who has had to deal with unions during my career thus far as an engineer, I'm not really taking a side on this one without knowing the specifics. But I have to ask, for the people here claiming that UAW members are greedy for wanting $50k or $60k a year, what does somebody like Bob Lutz make at GM? Why is nobody outraged at the insane compensation that corporations are providing at the executive level - even corporations like GM that are losing market share and facing financial hardship?
There's a relevant point in there somewhere. When such discussions have come up, I've never been one to begrudge these workers their wages. I have tended to gripe about the benefits, as some of them are better than our military gets.

Lately, I recall msnbc.com coming out with articles about the compensation of CEOs, and you have to wonder if the average CEO is worth 364 times as much as the average worker. Executive compensation is out of proportion to that of the average worker, and to that of overseas CEOs as well. It should be reigned in by the board of directors before our complex and wonderful government steps in and tells them what they are worth. I'm recalling Quentin Crisp on getting what we deserve, "If we got what we deserved, then we would all starve!"

Nevertheless, I think the UAW has made a blunder. I wonder how much the closing of the Ford plant in Norfolk has really affected things around here, and wonder what would happen if that happened everywhere there was a unionized plant...
 
#260 ·
Its funny how honda and toyota plants have the best productivity and very, very low turnover and are non union. this tells me they pay well enough with health coverage (we know this is true because it comes from workers at those plants), therefore the there is plenty of market for the jobs they create without the uaw. Thanks american unions for killing the US industry, its worked great for the airlines!
 
#261 ·
VT Hokie said:
As someone who can see both sides of the union issue, and who has had to deal with unions during my career thus far as an engineer, I'm not really taking a side on this one without knowing the specifics. But I have to ask, for the people here claiming that UAW members are greedy for wanting $50k or $60k a year, what does somebody like Bob Lutz make at GM? Why is nobody outraged at the insane compensation that corporations are providing at the executive level - even corporations like GM that are losing market share and facing financial hardship?
I think GM's CEOs are paid a fair amount when compared to other corporations (see Enron). Also, there is a fundamental difference: How many people in the country can do Bob Lutz's job with any degree of success? Now how many people can screw in bolts all day? Considerably more I would think.
 
#262 ·
There is always complaint about what the top management is compensated, and yet there isn't any outcry over what a profesional ballplayer earns. That is the one that really gets my goat. I would rather have an overpaid bolt putter onner than see some guy make millions for catching footballs. Either which way, there are not a lot of fish at the top of the corporate pond, and getting to that point is what you are supposed to be enticed with in the first place. There is a tremendous amount of skill, connection, know-how and luck involved in getting one of the CEO positions, and it is pretty fairly compensated when you take a look at the whole picture.
 
#263 ·
maross600 said:
Its funny how honda and toyota plants have the best productivity and very, very low turnover and are non union. this tells me they pay well enough with health coverage (we know this is true because it comes from workers at those plants), therefore the there is plenty of market for the jobs they create without the uaw. Thanks american unions for killing the US industry, its worked great for the airlines!
Actually, one of the car plants in Oshawa won the award for highest productivity for all of N and S America beating out Toyota and Honda plants. I think it was the Harbor Report that issued it. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. Ironically, it's the same plant that's scheduled to shut down for good.
 
#264 ·
howpeculiar said:
There is always complaint about what the top management is compensated, and yet there isn't any outcry over what a profesional ballplayer earns. That is the one that really gets my goat. I would rather have an overpaid bolt putter onner than see some guy make millions for catching footballs. Either which way, there are not a lot of fish at the top of the corporate pond, and getting to that point is what you are supposed to be enticed with in the first place. There is a tremendous amount of skill, connection, know-how and luck involved in getting one of the CEO positions, and it is pretty fairly compensated when you take a look at the whole picture.
good point. don't forget that professional athletes are in a union and occasionally go on strike to ensure their huge salaries.
 
#266 ·
Kennyboy said:
That's crazy! How could the unions allow them to return?
Same crap with the CWA. Those guys can do anything they want when they go out on strike and the company takes them back. That's either #1 or #2 in the settlement (the other being that the company pay the workers for the amount of time they were out on strike). As a manager you have no control. The company will fire my ass so quickly and will always side with the union in a work stoppage dispute.
 
#267 · (Edited)
VT Hokie said:
Answered my own question:

http://finance.yahoo.com/q/pr?s=GM

KEY EXECUTIVES PayExercised
Mr. Rick Wagoner , 53
Chairman, Chief Exec. Officer of Gen. Motors Acceptance Corp.$ 1.28M$ 0
Mr. Frederick A. Henderson , 48
Vice Chairman and Chief Financial Officer$ 1.16M$ 0
Mr. Robert A. Lutz , 75
Vice Chairman of Global Product Devel. and Acting Chief Exec. Officer of GM Europe$ 1.16M$ 0
Mr. Gary L. Cowger , 59
Group VP of Labor Relations and Global Manufacturing$ 858.00K$ 0
That's not "insane compensation". That's actually pathetic compensation for the heads of a Fortune 50 Company. Take a look at what some folks on Wall Street are making! $500 MILLION. There are bonuses handed out on Wall Street that are larger than what all those gents you list make each year. And none of those folks on Wall Street is actually running a massive, $200B/year company that has gone sideways and needs some serious corrections.

From the salaries quoted I'd bet that Lutz makes no more than 3 or 4 times what a senior engineer makes at GM. The usual ratio is much higher at many companies.

Don't compare their compensation with someone installing a door or dash. Compare it with others of their calibre, running similarly large corporations. Then add in the complexities of what ails GM and realize GM is getting a sweet deal.

If Lutz hadn't come into GM a few years ago can you imagine where GM would be now? I think we all know where it'd be: bankrupt. Product, product, product is what it's all about and that's what Lutz has pushed into the minds of GM. Good product, high quality product, appealing product. The new cars -- unfortunately stalled now because of the UAW -- were turning GM and GM's perception around. This strike does nothing to dispel the perceptions of the domestic automakers that consumers have. If anything, it's only reinforced them. And that's a very sad fact after all the work Lutz et al have done to turn GM around and make it relevant again.

So as a GM customer I say to the UAW: Thanks! And that's sarcasm, for those impaired in that area.

Edit: BTW. Do you think Lutz either needs the money or the aggravation? He doesn't. He's really doing this out of love for GM and its past. In fact, I'm sure he could take a job back at Chrysler for WAY more money. Or at BMW, another past haunt of his. But he's at GM because he wants to see it return to what it was. And that doesn't mean strike ridden.
 
#268 ·
esoxlee said:
Actually, one of the car plants in Oshawa won the award for highest productivity for all of N and S America beating out Toyota and Honda plants. I think it was the Harbor Report that issued it. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. Ironically, it's the same plant that's scheduled to shut down for good.
This is a very good point. Even though I think the union is stuck in a time warp with this stupid strike, they are actually building some decent cars here in the US. When you look at NA plants, the top ones are always union shops from GM, Ford or Chrysler. You never see the Camry NA plant being tops in productivity.

Maybe there is a reason for that...anyone?
 
#269 ·
VT Hokie said:
As someone who can see both sides of the union issue, and who has had to deal with unions during my career thus far as an engineer, I'm not really taking a side on this one without knowing the specifics. But I have to ask, for the people here claiming that UAW members are greedy for wanting $50k or $60k a year, what does somebody like Bob Lutz make at GM? Why is nobody outraged at the insane compensation that corporations are providing at the executive level - even corporations like GM that are losing market share and facing financial hardship?
Hokie? From Saturnfans? Is that you? *reads post* its gotta be! Welcome to GMinsidenews. :bounce:

But as I said over there, somebody who does not to need to know how to read should be making $50k-$60k a year, while I have a degree and get barely over $46k. They are menial labour jobs and should be treated as such. If you were CEO of the world's biggest corporation, would you be satisfied with $50k-$60k a year? Doubt it. But I must admit, I admire Mr. Lee Iococca for his infamous pay cut over at Chrysler back in the day when Chrysler really needed it. I can't wait to start reading his latest book, "Where Have All the Leaders Gone?" :yup: I picked it up last week.


(hey, that was post #454 ci ;) )
 
#270 ·
howpeculiar said:
There is always complaint about what the top management is compensated, and yet there isn't any outcry over what a profesional ballplayer earns. That is the one that really gets my goat.
Oh believe me, I think professional athletes and entertainers are also insanely overpaid these days!
 
#271 ·
bigbillsfan said:
i'm so sick of this site and it's arrogant members, jealous little people.
Goodbye...you will be missed like a canker. :)

Have a nice day! :)
 
#272 ·
ronald mcretard said:
Also, there is a fundamental difference: How many people in the country can do Bob Lutz's job with any degree of success?
How hard is being a CEO? I'm sure many people could do it successfully. How many people are graduating with MBA's each year? Of those, I'm sure a large percentage would do fine. How many engineers would be able to have success in new product design? Plenty. I think many execs tend to overstate the uniqueness of their talents and abilities.
 
#273 ·
howpeculiar said:
There is a tremendous amount of skill, connection, know-how and luck involved in getting one of the CEO positions, and it is pretty fairly compensated when you take a look at the whole picture.
I disagree with the second part of your statement. There is a tremendous amount of skill required for many jobs, and yet CEO's make millions off of the backs of the rest of a company's employees.
 
#274 ·
esoxlee said:
Actually, one of the car plants in Oshawa won the award for highest productivity for all of N and S America beating out Toyota and Honda plants. I think it was the Harbor Report that issued it. I guess you have to take the good with the bad. Ironically, it's the same plant that's scheduled to shut down for good.
Hopefully, others can shed light on this. I have several friends that work in that award winning plant destined to shut down. They are convinced that this decision to include this facility in Detroit's list of plant closings was a token gesture to prevent the UAW from screaming bloody murder that no plants north of the border were touched. To further their argument, this Oshawa plant has consistently placed in the top 5 in JD Power quality rankings for the past 5 to 10 years.
 
#275 ·
zete said:
That's not "insane compensation". That's actually pathetic compensation for the heads of a Fortune 50 Company. Take a look at what some folks on Wall Street are making! $500 MILLION. There are bonuses handed out on Wall Street that are larger than what all those gents you list make each year.
That's just sick. The growing disparity between the ultra-rich and the middle class in this country is an ominous sign.

From the salaries quoted I'd bet that Lutz makes no more than 3 or 4 times what a senior engineer makes at GM. The usual ratio is much higher at many companies.
Fair enough, that may be true. But how can it be okay for someone to make over a million a year for his/her efforts, if a full time employee demanding $55k or $60k a year is somehow being greedy?
 
#276 · (Edited)
Uzzy said:
Hokie? From Saturnfans? Is that you? *reads post* its gotta be! Welcome to GMinsidenews. :bounce:
Yep, that's me! Couldn't resist joining the conversation! ;)

Uzzy said:
But as I said over there, somebody who does not to need to know how to read should be making $50k-$60k a year, while I have a degree and get barely over $46k. They are menial labour jobs and should be treated as such. If you were CEO of the world's biggest corporation, would you be satisfied with $50k-$60k a year? Doubt it.
No, but I think I could get by on a couple hundred grand a year! ;) Seriously, though, some of the corporate executive compensation packages these days are just obscenely ridiculous.
 
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