UAW hits GM with nationwide strike

[groundloop]

Source: CBS News

Detroit — Some 46,000 members of the United Auto Workers went on strike early Monday, walking off General Motors factory floors and setting up picket lines as their midnight strike deadline came and went. Workers shut down 33 manufacturing plants in nine states across the U.S. as well as 22 parts distribution warehouses.

It wasn't clear how long the walkout would last, with the union saying GM has budged little in months of talks while GM said it made substantial offers including higher wages and factory investments. Talks were scheduled to resume at 10 a.m. EDT Monday.

It's the first national strike by the union since a two-day walkout in 2007 that had little impact on the company.

GM workers joined striking Aramark-employed janitors on the picket lines Sunday night at a sprawling factory on the border between Detroit and the small town of Hamtramck.

Read more: https://www.cbsnews.com/news/united-auto-workers-uaw-general-motors-gm-workers-strike-today-2019-09-16/

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Near the bottom of the linked article it says that one of the issues involved is the cost of health insurance policies. Given that, you'd think that the top brass at GM would be all over some form of 'healthcare for all'.

[blue-wave]

2. If I remember correctly,

our last President stepped in to help save living-wage jobs in the auto industry and was successful at doing so. Why am I hearing hearing crickets from the present administration?

[Igel]

5. There's a difference at the depths of a recession and

when it looks like a recession might be a year away.

The first is a time when you take concessions and helping the UAW is easy.

The second is when the UAW realizes if it doesn't go for broke it'll be bargaining from a position of weakness.

It's even a stronger negotiating position when the economy might not withstand a long strike without feeling the nudge towards recession.

As for presidential politics, nothing Trump could do would gain the UAW's support--above and beyond the claim that strengthening the UAW would help keep more auto workers employed. If he strengthened the UAW, all it would do is strengthen an adversary. For Obama, flip the polarity.

[OnlinePoker]

3. Autoworkers didn't respect pickets of striking maintenance workers this weekend

When a line is drawn by one group of workers (in the same union, no less), that line shouldn't be crossed.

https://www.democraticunderground.com/10142367827

[groundloop]

4. Ehhhh.... I think that was overblown.

First off, the Aramark workers were also represented by UAW. They walked out one day before the GM employees were scheduled to go on strike. It's just speculation but it would seem that this may have been coordinated by the UAW.

[yaesu]

6. the news tonight was a big hit piece on the union, they are showing their corporate roots. nt

[bluestarone]

7. They will soon find out who the scabs will be.

Some will cross their picket line! ( I hope i'm wrong)

[Massacure]

8. It's not hard to see GM's point of view here.

Per the article, GM already provides more pay and benefits than any of the other automakers. Given that fact, I can see why management would want to emphasize profit sharing over base wages.

I wish all the best to the UAW, but I question how many concessions they can get from GM.