UAW strikes GM

[DeclinetoState]

Sharon Terlep and Bill Vlasic / The Detroit News
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The United Auto Workers launched a national strike today against General Motors Corp. after 10 days of marathon bargaining failed to produce a new labor pact for the automaker's 73,000 hourly U.S. workers. A news conference is scheduled for 12:15 this afternoon.

The UAW hasn't staged a national strike against General Motors since 1970.

At 11 a.m. officials at Local 599 in Flint got on their cell phones, called in plant reps and said, "Take them out."

A few minutes after calls were made, workers began streaming into the local hall, where picket signs were laid out on folding tables in front of huge murals that celebrate this union's militant background of sit-down strikes and mass marches.

Local 160 in Warren represents about 2200 workers at the GM Tech Center. About 11:10, a convoy of GM vehicles and workers on motorcycles began streaming into the union hall parking lot near 12 Mile and Van Dyke roads.More (http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070924/UPDATE/709240402)

They're on strike.

[Rhino]

Big whoopee.

[Eagle1]

damn UAW, worst thing to ever happen to the auto industry, besides environmentalists

[Air Force Guy]

Best time to strike would be when your industry is faltering heavily. :rolleyes:

Glad I've never had to deal with unions.

[Beowulf]

Best time to strike would be when your industry is faltering heavily. :rolleyes:

Glad I've never had to deal with unions.

No kidding! Out of the frying pan and into the fire!

[dPrasse]

One of the sticking points is that GM wanted to put the retirement funds into a trust ... seeing how the "Retirement trusts" usually get "borrowed against" by companies , they might as well just get rid of the company retirement plan all together ...

[The_Sonarman]

Vitale has been at GM for 42 years and struck in the 1970s. He feels the strike is needed, but he worries the company and union won't recoup losses from the strike.
I can already answer that one for you. You won't recoup the losses from the strike. But, go ahead and strike anyway. Destroy the company that pays your wages and puts bread on your table.

"We need to have a future and that future is here in Michigan, working for General Motors," said Deborah Adkins, 53, of Dearborn Heights
Good luck. I hope GM survives the strike so you can go back to work. I recall there's already a lot of unemployment in Detroit and the US auto industry. Great time for a strike, people.

She said her biggest concern was maintaining the quality of vehicles made in the plant. There are fewer workers doing more work and she fears the stress and exhaustion will take its toll on the quality of the cars manufactured there.
Then the vehicle production will be moved overseas.

[Venus de Smilo]

GM, Ford and Chrysler are employee union benefit companies that happen to make cars. Toyota, Honda, Nissan, etc., are car companies that provide decent benefits and pay to non-union employees.

MI has the highest unemployment rate in the country. Yeah, I know. SOMEBODY has to be last. Keep it up UAW, Stabenow, etc.. Y'all are doing a real great job.

[Venus de Smilo]

One of the sticking points is that GM wanted to put the retirement funds into a trust ... seeing how the "Retirement trusts" usually get "borrowed against" by companies , they might as well just get rid of the company retirement plan all together ...
Retirement trusts are closely regulated and have to remain solvent. Huge penalties attach if they aren't kept solvent. Besides, my understanding is that the sticking point with regard to retirement relates to health care benefits, not retirement payments. The other huge item the union is demanding is certain job security guarantees with penalties for non-compliance.

The best way to lose job security is to starve the employer and stockholders and shut down production through strikes.

These big unions are just a bunch of thieving bastards.

[Rhino]

dPrasse must have gotten that little snippet from a union source. As usual for union sources, it's wrong. GM's retirement fund is already in a trust, and has been for years. What GM wanted was for the retiree health care plan to be put into a trust run by the union. Apparently they got their wish.

Sept. 26, 2007, 4:31AM
UAW reaches tentative agreement with GM

By TOM KRISHER and DEE-ANN DURBIN AP Auto Writers
© 2007 The Associated Press

DETROIT — The United Auto Workers and General Motors Corp. said Wednesday they have reached a tentative contract agreement that ends a two-day nationwide strike immediately.

A person briefed on the contract told The Associated Press earlier that the historic agreement would shift the burden of retiree health care from GM to the union and give workers bonuses and lump-sum payments. The person requested anonymity because the contract talks are private.

The union said the deal was reached shortly after 3 a.m.

The contract must be reviewed by local UAW presidents and will then be subject to a vote of GM's 73,000 rank-and-file members. The agreement is expected to set a pattern for contracts at Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC....http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/business/5165496.html

[dPrasse]

dPrasse must have gotten that little snippet from a union source.

Brive by media .... can't even listen to the local radio station from Janesville,IL (home of a GM truck plant ... )

my bad .. shoulda known better ... :punish:

What GM wanted was for the retiree health care plan to be put into a trust run by the union. Apparently they got their wish.


New Lincolns and Caddys for the Union Bosses !!