UAW Pickets Themselves
10-17-2010, 11:44 AM
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UAW Pickets Themselves Only In America: Workers Fight Their Own Union
By Bertel Schmitt on October 17, 2010
The UAW is getting an interesting lecture: Ownership of a car manufacturer entails delicate handling of labor relations. As Ed had reminded us so rightly: “Pre-bankruptcy, GM didn’t have to deal with the fact that the UAW is incapable of building fuel-efficient subcompact cars profitably. But now that the General has promised to build the next-gen Aveo in Michigan’s Orion Township plant in exchange for nearly $800m in local tax credits (not to mention the political benefits of “saving or creating” hundreds of union jobs), it’s up to the UAW to square the circle and make the damn thing profitable.”
And now, the UAW gets a taste of how it is when the working masses protest in front of your building: “About 100 General Motors Co workers and retirees picketed outside the United Auto Workers union’s headquarters on Saturday to protest plans to build a new small car with low-wage workers,” reports Reuters. They didn’t picket RenCen. They didn’t picket the Orion plant. They picketed their own union.
As reported previously, the UAW enacted “innovative labor agreement provisions” that would allow GM to make a small car profitably in the United States. The creative part: Slash wages in half. Think back what would have happened before the UAW ended up as a co-owner of GM and a good chunk of the shares that are about to be IPO-ed.
According to Reuters, “details of the concessions granted by the UAW’s national leaders have angered many workers.” The most contentious detail: GM will be able to hire an increasing number of workers at wages of about $14 per hour. That is about half of the nearly $29 per hour veteran UAW-represented GM workers make. Eventually, GM plans to staff the plant entirely with workers at the lower wage level, union officials told Orion workers.
No wonder China’s SAIC is interested in getting in on the ground floor with the GM IPO. If this trend continues, the U.S.A. will be the world’s new low cost producer. Workers protesting their own union? The Chinese are used to it.
By Bertel Schmitt on October 17, 2010
The UAW is getting an interesting lecture: Ownership of a car manufacturer entails delicate handling of labor relations. As Ed had reminded us so rightly: “Pre-bankruptcy, GM didn’t have to deal with the fact that the UAW is incapable of building fuel-efficient subcompact cars profitably. But now that the General has promised to build the next-gen Aveo in Michigan’s Orion Township plant in exchange for nearly $800m in local tax credits (not to mention the political benefits of “saving or creating” hundreds of union jobs), it’s up to the UAW to square the circle and make the damn thing profitable.”
And now, the UAW gets a taste of how it is when the working masses protest in front of your building: “About 100 General Motors Co workers and retirees picketed outside the United Auto Workers union’s headquarters on Saturday to protest plans to build a new small car with low-wage workers,” reports Reuters. They didn’t picket RenCen. They didn’t picket the Orion plant. They picketed their own union.
As reported previously, the UAW enacted “innovative labor agreement provisions” that would allow GM to make a small car profitably in the United States. The creative part: Slash wages in half. Think back what would have happened before the UAW ended up as a co-owner of GM and a good chunk of the shares that are about to be IPO-ed.
According to Reuters, “details of the concessions granted by the UAW’s national leaders have angered many workers.” The most contentious detail: GM will be able to hire an increasing number of workers at wages of about $14 per hour. That is about half of the nearly $29 per hour veteran UAW-represented GM workers make. Eventually, GM plans to staff the plant entirely with workers at the lower wage level, union officials told Orion workers.
No wonder China’s SAIC is interested in getting in on the ground floor with the GM IPO. If this trend continues, the U.S.A. will be the world’s new low cost producer. Workers protesting their own union? The Chinese are used to it.
10-18-2010, 02:11 AM
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waiting for ultimateorangess to chime in. He LOVES unions.
I have to agree. I believe in general unions raise pay for simple jobs to insane highs. For example...
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/...USPS%29/Salary
All the jobs listed are $51,000 at the least. A mail clerk gets $51K good lord
10-18-2010, 04:57 AM
#7
waiting for ultimateorangess to chime in. He LOVES unions.
I have to agree. I believe in general unions raise pay for simple jobs to insane highs. For example...
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/...USPS%29/Salary
All the jobs listed are $51,000 at the least. A mail clerk gets $51K good lord
WTF are you?
what you make is what you make. i dont let it bother me and cry and get together with people and badmouth people because of it.
im pro union so what. deal with it.
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10-18-2010, 07:06 AM
#8
waiting for ultimateorangess to chime in. He LOVES unions.
I have to agree. I believe in general unions raise pay for simple jobs to insane highs. For example...
http://www.payscale.com/research/US/...USPS%29/Salary
All the jobs listed are $51,000 at the least. A mail clerk gets $51K good lord
10-18-2010, 09:05 AM
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UAW members, your union-bargained pay raises help support the union's favored political candidates. What could go wrong?
Work hard enough for them and you might, one day, get access to their $33mil lakeside golf retreat. You bought it for them, but hell, it's probably a shirt and tie place anyway. You wouldn't fit in, right? Who likes golf anyway?
Work hard enough for them and you might, one day, get access to their $33mil lakeside golf retreat. You bought it for them, but hell, it's probably a shirt and tie place anyway. You wouldn't fit in, right? Who likes golf anyway?
10-18-2010, 10:44 AM
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hahaha... protesting themselves that is too funny and arogant.
in todays age do we need Unions?? NO!!! did we before labor laws and OSHA?? yes.. but now we dont.
Does a high school drop drop out, deserve to make $30 an hour operating a brake press, NO.. or a holding street sign that says stop/go at a contruction site?? NO..
Sadly unions, which could have been a good thing, actually became a greedy mechanism that shut down and killed the majority of auto makers in the USA...minus are major 3.
Many publications and books are in print, regarding how unions killed the auto manufacturing in the USA... and its true.
Unions are good for the union, but not the economy!!! The products they make result in higher cost to the consumer and lesser quality because of the sense of a secure job.
in todays age do we need Unions?? NO!!! did we before labor laws and OSHA?? yes.. but now we dont.
Does a high school drop drop out, deserve to make $30 an hour operating a brake press, NO.. or a holding street sign that says stop/go at a contruction site?? NO..
Sadly unions, which could have been a good thing, actually became a greedy mechanism that shut down and killed the majority of auto makers in the USA...minus are major 3.
Many publications and books are in print, regarding how unions killed the auto manufacturing in the USA... and its true.
Unions are good for the union, but not the economy!!! The products they make result in higher cost to the consumer and lesser quality because of the sense of a secure job.
10-18-2010, 11:25 AM
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Unions could be a great resource to help both companies and employees. Instead, they got greedy and ended up hurting companies by demanding outlandish wages, health benefits, and retirement plans, which drove costs up. This was, of course, unsustainable. I agree that everyone should be able to earn a living wage, but the pay should match the work. >$20/hr for unskilled labor is a little ridiculous.
Unions also make it easy for cultures of laziness and corruption to thrive. While I think it's great that they stick up for workers and protect people's livelihoods, they do so blindly without much consideration to the employees contributions to the company and instead base things primarily on seniority. I've been union myself and I've seen a whole lot of "they can't fire me, I'm union" attitudes. Unfortunately, that attitude is more common than a good work ethic. Unions could still do some good, but they need major reform to become what they should be.
Unions also make it easy for cultures of laziness and corruption to thrive. While I think it's great that they stick up for workers and protect people's livelihoods, they do so blindly without much consideration to the employees contributions to the company and instead base things primarily on seniority. I've been union myself and I've seen a whole lot of "they can't fire me, I'm union" attitudes. Unfortunately, that attitude is more common than a good work ethic. Unions could still do some good, but they need major reform to become what they should be.
10-18-2010, 01:22 PM
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I am well aware that most of the country has little use for unions anymore. Thats all. Nothing more, nothing less.
10-18-2010, 01:35 PM
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Like all unions are hard to get into??
Baggers at the local grocery stores can get into one. Its not like being in a union means you learned a special handshake and decoder ring.
Union-legalized gang that can freeze all production in a company-see extortion
a group that will picket a company that chooses to use alternative labor for a task.
I don't hate on them. They served a purpose when corporations could work people in this country to death for pennies. That isn't the case anymore.
I don't care what people do for a living. Preacher, teacher, stripper whatever. But bringing a company to its knees by walking off the job so they can twist the screws on a company for more money or benefits is extortion.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/extortion
see definition #2.
ex·tor·tion
/ɪkˈstɔrʃən/ Show Spelled[ik-stawr-shuhn] Show IPA
–noun
1.
an act or instance of extorting.
2.
Law . the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.
3.
oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price or interest: the extortions of usurers.
4.
anything extorted.
Baggers at the local grocery stores can get into one. Its not like being in a union means you learned a special handshake and decoder ring.
Union-legalized gang that can freeze all production in a company-see extortion
a group that will picket a company that chooses to use alternative labor for a task.
I don't hate on them. They served a purpose when corporations could work people in this country to death for pennies. That isn't the case anymore.
I don't care what people do for a living. Preacher, teacher, stripper whatever. But bringing a company to its knees by walking off the job so they can twist the screws on a company for more money or benefits is extortion.
http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/extortion
see definition #2.
ex·tor·tion
/ɪkˈstɔrʃən/ Show Spelled[ik-stawr-shuhn] Show IPA
–noun
1.
an act or instance of extorting.
2.
Law . the crime of obtaining money or some other thing of value by the abuse of one's office or authority.
3.
oppressive or illegal exaction, as of excessive price or interest: the extortions of usurers.
4.
anything extorted.
10-18-2010, 01:42 PM
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10-18-2010, 01:59 PM
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IL road construction crew was prime example of typical union behavior...
Timeline of events:
-They complained, because of the lack of work and most where unemployed.
-Then comes the "Put America back to work, road construction plan".
-State recieves government funding to put road crew unions back to work.
-Road crew unions, start the jobs, work until road is tore a part.
-Road is tore a part, road crew union strikes stating "we wont finish the roads until we recieve a raise of 15%"
what is wrong with that... First off the "put america back to work", should have been titled put unions back to work.
Secondly, the union was complaining because they where unemployed, then they get a job on and go on strike.... Complete BS...
Timeline of events:
-They complained, because of the lack of work and most where unemployed.
-Then comes the "Put America back to work, road construction plan".
-State recieves government funding to put road crew unions back to work.
-Road crew unions, start the jobs, work until road is tore a part.
-Road is tore a part, road crew union strikes stating "we wont finish the roads until we recieve a raise of 15%"
what is wrong with that... First off the "put america back to work", should have been titled put unions back to work.
Secondly, the union was complaining because they where unemployed, then they get a job on and go on strike.... Complete BS...
10-18-2010, 02:09 PM
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This is complete nonsense and this protesters need to educate themselves
These are the facts from our website regarding this
* 1,550 jobs will be retained at Orion Assembly.
* 60 percent of UAW employees on Aveo production will work at the current contract rate. Another 40 percent of employees on Aveo production will work at the entry-level rate.*
* There are approximately 1,150 laid-off traditional workers. About 500 of these workers are at other GM facilities on temporary assignment.
* Any Orion Assembly employees with 29 or more years of seniority will be offered a special retirement incentive. There are approximately 300 workers in this group.
* When Aveo production begins, all employees laid off from Orion Assembly will be offered, in order of seniority, the chance to return to work at the plant. The 60 percent of employees returning will be paid the traditional rate. Because of the joint efforts and creativity of GM and the UAW working together, all traditional employees are expected to have the opportunity to return to work at the traditional level at either Orion Assembly or other facilities needing additional manpower. It will not be mandatory for any traditional employee to work at the entry-level rate.
$14 an hour has been the entry level rate for a few years now and most all of those protesters voted for the wage cuts during the contract negotiations. Theres nothing that says GM cant pay those workers $29hr if they so choose but tough times call for tough decisions and the wage cut was one of them. I dont know why any anti-union voices wouldnt be doing anymore than praising this considering they are always taking shots at the UAW for over compensation to low skilled workers unless they just dont like unions period and arent interested in honest discussion
These are the facts from our website regarding this
* 1,550 jobs will be retained at Orion Assembly.
* 60 percent of UAW employees on Aveo production will work at the current contract rate. Another 40 percent of employees on Aveo production will work at the entry-level rate.*
* There are approximately 1,150 laid-off traditional workers. About 500 of these workers are at other GM facilities on temporary assignment.
* Any Orion Assembly employees with 29 or more years of seniority will be offered a special retirement incentive. There are approximately 300 workers in this group.
* When Aveo production begins, all employees laid off from Orion Assembly will be offered, in order of seniority, the chance to return to work at the plant. The 60 percent of employees returning will be paid the traditional rate. Because of the joint efforts and creativity of GM and the UAW working together, all traditional employees are expected to have the opportunity to return to work at the traditional level at either Orion Assembly or other facilities needing additional manpower. It will not be mandatory for any traditional employee to work at the entry-level rate.
$14 an hour has been the entry level rate for a few years now and most all of those protesters voted for the wage cuts during the contract negotiations. Theres nothing that says GM cant pay those workers $29hr if they so choose but tough times call for tough decisions and the wage cut was one of them. I dont know why any anti-union voices wouldnt be doing anymore than praising this considering they are always taking shots at the UAW for over compensation to low skilled workers unless they just dont like unions period and arent interested in honest discussion
Last edited by wannabess00; 10-18-2010 at 02:17 PM.
10-18-2010, 02:28 PM
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Its funny you should say that that way. What you make is what you make. I don't let it bother me and cry....really??? Then why strike? Why walk off a job? Because you or your union reps decide that x amount is no longer good enough and can create a work stoppage. Sounds like what happens when I tell my 3 year old he can't do something while I'm in a store. He stops what hes doing and throws a fit.