GM to pay up to $200M to help end American Axle strike

[NfamousZ24]

Originally Posted by 5.3Avalanche

I'm not trying to be naive, but please, enlighten those of us that are not members of the union why we don't understand, because from a complete business aspect, the bargaining the UAW is doing is not doing anything good for their future fortune. I know you previously mentioned that you are not part of the union, but you must have friends/family in the union otherwise you would not take such a strong position for it. Again, no disrespect in my question, I'm just wondering if there are any factors that I'm missing that would cause me to not understand.
I used to be a part of the engineering team for a BFGoodrich plant in Ontario. There was a strike by the steelworkers union which shut the plant down (the workers at our plant were part of the steelworkers union). A couple years later, Michelin execs (Michelin owns BFG) closed down our plant and one of the deciding factors was that our unionized workforce was non-compliant in previous endeavors such as the strike a couple years back. It's an instance like this that causes unions to have a bad taste in my mouth because I lost my job because of it.

Why I said that is because someone complaining on why UAW is striking at AAM or even the GM locals after they had an agreement. Many for some reason can't tell the diffrence betweein National and Local contracts, Let alone agreements with diffrent companies.

I never said that I wasn't in a Union just not in UAW, And I work at GM. Yes I agree that Unions of the past don't work in this new global economy. That is why you even see some local UAW's taking a proactive approach. Even my Union (IUE-CWA) started to work on making us more competitve since '93. As I said before the Union I work for is 10+ years ahead of the UAW, But the agreement they had last year caught them up right with us.
Then again there are still locals that are still the Good 'Ol Boy's. Lordstown is one of them and look even they had an agreement and is praised by the members of GMI. They have no idea about the friction between Union and Managment. One of the main reasons why the Cobalt SS was delayed becuase of "Paint" issues. Yeah Skill Trades in the Paint House was giving some troubles. ( I have contacts in Managment that work in these plants)

Back to UAW and AAM. UAW agreed last contract 4+ years ago that new hires were going to get paid at these new wages. The same wages that AAM is trying to get all of the people to take now. Like I said UAW agreed for the new hires. You know what you are going to make when you get hired on, It is set in the contract. Now the people that have been working for 5+ years have set a life making a certain wage. Getting half of your wages and benefits cut is worth striking for. You might not think so but I would. AAM wasn't even offering originally Buyouts and or Buydowns. Now they are and this is where I think UAW should take the agreement with the new Buyouts and Buydowns even if AAM closes the 2 Founderies. Why would UAW keep on fighting? Now they have to say they tried to fight to save these foundaries. People on here say that ship all of the jobs to Mexico anyways. Well the people that have 15+ years have GM time. They are in the UAW and should be able to get into a GM Assembly plant. They can still get GM retirment......... Maybe that is why GM is offering the $200 Million.


*** I might have some major errors and stopped in mid thought. My wife is at her doctors appt. And I am watching our 7 week old son. ***

[member12]

Find a new subcontractor since American Axle is probably in breech of contract for not supplying the product in a reasonable amount of time. That is more reasonable than giving them more money.

Unless they were stupid enough to have a labor union clause......

Honesty, the union situation is pathetic. It puts way too much power in the hands of the lowest level employee in the lowest level subcontractor. It's bass akwards.
American Axle line workers go on strike and they have General Motors, the equivalent to their company's general contractor, helping bail them out.

In the rest of America, if the sub can't do the work...they lose the contract. End of story.

Obviously, General Motors needs to find another axle supplier and take American Axle to court. That puts pressure and responsibility on American axle to settle the strike, and if they can't then General Motors starts collecting bids from other axle suppliers......or start building axles in house, but because of the UAW that probably means more work for Mexico.

[Acidspider]

Originally Posted by Hunid Racks

If there is one thing that gets this board fired up it is a union related thread.

Most are about how the pay is so out of line.

Well the days of excessive pay are over.

At this time I don't beleive anybody has the specifics or conditions of this "contribution".

But how it was "negotiated" included actions against GM. Namely the Delta plant and Fairfax shutting down.

The UAW has to work in different ways now. Wages will not be extreme anymore. The UAW workforce will be paid less and held more accountable. **** Dauch has said publicly that he is outraged how some workers are absent up to 20%. Don't be surprised if the settlement includes actions on that issue.

BTW, the rumor is the 200 mill has a born on date. If not accepted quickly, it goes away.

The days of excessive pay are over right? Does that include the 250 million the American Axel CEO has made over the past 10 years? And he wants to cut the workers pay in half, while the company is still making millions. It makes me sick. How can you justify that?

[steverino]

Originally Posted by Acidspider

The days of excessive pay are over right? Does that include the 250 million the American Axel CEO has made over the past 10 years? And he wants to cut the workers pay in half, while the company is still making millions. It makes me sick. How can you justify that?

Richard Dauch took the risk, buying the plants from GM and saving thousands of jobs. He deserves what he makes.

Don't like it, mortgage your home and get financing for a billion dollars and buy the place, then pay yourself $100,000 per year

[Acidspider]

Originally Posted by steverino

Richard Dauch took the risk, buying the plants from GM and saving thousands of jobs. He deserves what he makes.

Don't like it, mortgage your home and get financing for a billion dollars and buy the place, then pay yourself $100,000 per year

"



Those same jobs that Richard Dauch once "saved" are now planning to move to Mexico. This guy is as two faced as they come and its clear he is no friend of labor as he portrays. And no he doesnt deserve what he has made the last 10 years and expects to cut his workers pay in half. No CEO is worth 200x his empoyees pay. Greed at its finest.


I got an idea instead having GM cough up $200 million why not have Richard Dauch cough it up out of his bank account. I mean he would still have 50+ million in there and he would save some face with the workers.

[steverino]

Originally Posted by Acidspider

"



Those same jobs that Richard Dauch once "saved" are now planning to move to Mexico. This guy is as two faced as they come and its clear he is no friend of labor as he portrays. And no he doesnt deserve what he has made the last 10 years and expects to cut his workers pay in half. No CEO is worth 200x his empoyees pay. Greed at its finest.


I got an idea instead having GM cough up $200 million why not have Richard Dauch cough it up out of his bank account. I mean he would still have 50+ million in there and he would save some face with the workers.

The only thing in life that you can be absolutely sure of is that things will change. The best part of it is that we have the opportunity to be aware of what our choices are and participate in these changes by making conscious choices. Do you remember the golden rule of childhood? He who owns the ball, makes the rules. This is as true today as it was then. Your life belongs to you, how do you want to play it?

[chakis24]

last i hear Dana makes some pretty good axles.....

[Fletch Radford]

Originally Posted by Acidspider

"



Those same jobs that Richard Dauch once "saved" are now planning to move to Mexico. This guy is as two faced as they come and its clear he is no friend of labor as he portrays. And no he doesnt deserve what he has made the last 10 years and expects to cut his workers pay in half. No CEO is worth 200x his empoyees pay. Greed at its finest.


I got an idea instead having GM cough up $200 million why not have Richard Dauch cough it up out of his bank account. I mean he would still have 50+ million in there and he would save some face with the workers.

From what I have heard, the beauty of all this is that they had negotiated things down to just closing 2 plants and the usual employee buyouts (that seem to be so popular nowadays) then GM dangled this $200 million, so Dauch now wants to close 3 plants.