Word: uaw
(lookup in dictionary)
(lookup stats)
Dates: all
Sort By: most recent first
(reverse)
...particularly galling to the United Auto Workers (UAW) that, in addition to numerous rounds of layoffs and givebacks dating back two decades, the union is being cast as the enemy in the U.S. auto industry's fight to survive. "Our contracts with Chrysler, Ford and GM represent only 10% of the cost of assembling of a vehicle. But most days, it seems like we get 110% of the attention," said UAW president Ron Gettelfinger in a recent speech. In the wake of GM's most recent quarter, in which the company lost $9.6 billion - $30.9 billion on the year...
...UAW's image problem stems from the fact that it has been arguably much better at doing its job than the Big Three management teams have been at theirs. Over the past 60 years, many of the benefits that both blue- and white-collar workers hold dear were either won or expanded by the UAW. That includes pensions, early retirement, overtime, total health-care coverage and paid holidays. At congressional hearings in November over a proposed bailout bill, there was palpable contempt for the UAW from Alabama Senator Richard Shelby, whose state is home to several transplant automakers...
That criticism has lost its bite with autoworkers, considering that Toyota and other foreign makers are taking it on the chin just as much as Detroit. "This attitude, targeting the UAW as the bad guy here or the reason the auto industry is in rough shape - they think that's unjustified, not warranted," says David Lipsky, professor of dispute resolution at Cornell's School of Industrial and Labor Relations. And with some reason, says Lipsky, "they were innovative and creative: they built a comfortable lifestyle for middle-class Americans. And now it's turned out to be a house...
Under term loan agreements that GM and Chrysler signed with the U.S. Treasury in December, the UAW is required to accept equity instead of cash as payments into the health-care trust. But only last month, Gettelfinger said he was reluctant to accept any equity because it could jeopardize the health-care benefits of retirees. Gettelfinger also noted at the time that the UAW had not signed any commitment to a new VEBA funding scheme as part of the government loan deal...
...changes agreed to with Ford are now subject to approval of the UAW membership at Ford. Such a vote, which could also cover other agreed to cuts, such as elimination of productivity bonuses and cost-of-living adjustments over the next two years, could be held as early as next week. In addition, proposed changes to the VEBA will require court approval, Gettelfinger said...