GM workers in Lansing vote to authorize strike

[Omaha Steve]

Source: Reuters

By Jui Chakravorty

DETROIT, Aug 16 (Reuters) - General Motors Corp's (GM.N: Quote, Profile, Research) factory workers in Lansing, Michigan, have voted to authorize a strike if the United Auto Workers union fails to agree on a new labor contract with the automaker, the head of the union local said on Thursday.

GM, along with Ford Motor Co (F.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and Chrysler LLC, is in talks with the UAW to replace a four-year contract that expires Sept. 14.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who has said he was not entering the talks "in a concessionary mode," last month said a strike was a possibility.

Chris "Tiny" Sherwood, president of UAW Local 652 in Lansing, said 97 percent of the membership voted in favor of a strike.

Read more: http://www.reuters.com/article/tnBasicIndustries-SP/idUSN1632299020070816

[Lex1775]

1. Great, just what Lansing needs...

More out of work autoworkers and shut down factories.

[LiberalFighter]

4. A strike vote does not mean the factories will be shut down

UAW Constitution requires a strike vote.

If there isn't a strike vote a strike cannot be used as a tool by the Bargaining Committee if bargaining fails. Members are even provided the opportunity to submit resolutions on bargaining issues for the national and local contracts. Who would had thunk it. Members have input.

The higher the vote percent the better the message it sends to management that the workers are willing to fight for their wages and benefits.

[Lex1775]

5. My question is...

... what more does the UAW want????

From the article: "UAW President Ron Gettelfinger, who has said he was not entering the talks "in a concessionary mode," last month said a strike was a possibility."

Also from the article: "U.S. automakers pay their factory workers an average of about $73 per hour in wages and benefits..."

You'll have to forgive me for not jumping around and clapping for joy hearing about this. Lansing is where I grew up and watching the city be run into the ground is heartbreaking. They have already lost two massive auto plants, one GM and one Ford, because both of those companies are bleeding money. With no jobs the people are leaving in droves, which means the city is running out of money, which is reflected in the fact that my old elementary school had the doors chained shut and the windows boarded up because the city couldn't afford to upgrade the boiler. Meanwhile the UAW is talking about going on strike to get MORE money from companies that posted 12.7 billion in losses in 2006 (Ford) and 10.6 billion in losses in 2005 (GM).

Sometimes the Union is the greedy one.

[LiberalFighter]

7. That is up to the members to decide.

They decided when they elected their bargaining committee.

They decided when they authorized the bargaining committee to issue a strike notice if necessary.

They will decide when the bargaining committee submits a contract to the members for a vote.

It is up to the company to submit their proposals and to show proof of financial woes. The UAW had already re-opened the contract and agreed to modifications to the health portion of the contract to help the auto companies.

Those closings aren't the fault of the workers or their union.

"U.S. automakers pay their factory workers an average of about $73 per hour in wages and benefits..."

How much of that was for federal contributions for Social Security and Medicare employer payments?

How much of that was paid for state worker's compensation and unemployment insurance funds?

How much of that was for training and education?

How much of that was for overtime hours and shift premiums?

How much of an increase do the workers receive compared to executives 22% average increase? An average of $1.5 million per year per top 5 executives at GM, Delphi, Ford and Visteon.

[Yogi]

2. The working people must be stood up for.

N/T

[Jack Bone]

3. A strike vote...

is simply a vote in favor of the union, prior to negotiations. It gives the union the right to hold their ground as the contract negotiations unfold. It doesn't mean that they are walking out, at least not yet. My UAW Local 685 voted 97% in favor as well. These votes you'll read about right now are just part of the "chess match". No need to worry, not just yet.

[Sadie5]

6. Settle down Lex

This view you have of the UAW is a bit out of kilter, and how did you come up with that $73 per hour figure. GM wants to do away with insurance coverage among other things. They might or might not strike but the leverage is there if needed. GM is totaly mismanaged and needs to get onboard with the UAW and the workers.

[Lex1775]

8. The $73 an hour (average) figure is in the Reuters article...

... 2nd page, 1st paragraph.

I suppose your definition and my definition of "out of kilter" are different. I have no love for the UAW. Watching my friends and their families living hand to mouth in the late 80's/ early 90's because the UAW head honchos decided to strike for more money and more benefits, even when the US auto manufacturers were showing signs of stress then, was enough for me. Especially since most of the Auto Workers I talked to at that time had no idea why they were on strike, just that "the Union decided to do it and we have to follow what the Union says". Greed is greed, whether it is white washed with the "good for the common man" brush or not.

I've seen more than one UAW rep pounding on a table about how they are going to get their wage increases and benefits come hell or high water. Unfortunately, high water is coming on fast. From this article: http://money.cnn.com/2007/01/26/news/companies/pluggedin_taylor_ford.fortune/index.htm?postversion=2007012611
GM spends roughly $1600 per vehicle on health care costs, the Japanese auto makers pay $215. They are also spending $350 per car on paying UAW members for not working. The CNN Money article explains how GM must pay idle workers 95% of their normal rate plus all benefits. That's just ridiculous. Especially for an industry where the American businesses are getting hammered. 95% of your pay for sitting at home? Must be nice. Meanwhile both GM and Ford are slashing jobs, closing plants and just trying to stay afloat. But, the UAW's got to get theirs... fuck them, hypocritical assholes.

[noamnety]

9. $27 per hour

That may be off by a bit, because it's from 2006, but I doubt it went up much since then. At that point, the TOP pay for an hourly employee was $27 per hour, which cost the company (here is your pay AND BENEFITS) $73.73 per hour.

The problem is not the UAW, the problem is the health care system in the US.

http://money.cnn.com/2006/03/22/news/companies/gm_delphi/index.htm

Meanwhile, the CEO has had years where he's earned over $8,000,000. Very roughly, that works out to $4,000 per hour.

[Jack Bone]

10. The problem is w/ healthcare..Both UAW & management know it

The big three threw health care coverage into the negotiations back in the late 60's..back then BC&BS was cheap...it was easier for them to pay for health care than give more in wages...now that's askew and they're desperately trying to unfold the conundrum they placed themselves in.

The UAW has taken concessions when needed to keep their companies from going under, most recently they've been health care related concessions. Chrysler back in the late 70's took pay concessions in-turn for a profit-sharing agreement when the company became profitable and ever since that turnaround the company has been trying to take it away from us.

I work @ the Chrysler Transmission Plant in Kokomo, IN...I make $26.86 an hour. We've won The Harbour Award for productivity for the last 4 years in a row. Industry wide benchmark...best on the planet..We've earned that money, trust me...I've got a jacked-up wrist and carpal tunnel to prove it...And ya know what? They're fucking w/ us. changing production formats to "team concept" crap where you rotate jobs all day, rather than do the one your trained for. UAW Member Team Leaders instead of Salaried Supervisors. it's a buncha bunk, but it's mandated from Motown...if we don't oblige then we'll not see any "new work" come to our plant, plain & simple. It's all just part of the game, the game that's been playing out for years...and that's the game to break the union.

as for our sub-pay...ours is 85% of a 40 hour week and then unemployment makes up the rest, after yer 1 week waiting period, @ least here in IN. This is essential and needed considering how easy it is nowadays to sink a company, and lay thousands of people off. w/ the sub-pay system in place it forces the company to actually do their best to keep us game fully employed.