U.A.W. Reaches Tentative Agreement With G.M.

[alp227]

Source: The New York Times

DETROIT — The United Automobile Workers and General Motors said late Friday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract.

It is the first new labor pact for any of the Detroit carmakers since G.M. and Chrysler received government bailouts and went through bankruptcy in 2009. The deal will help G.M.’s 48,500 union workers share in the company’s turnaround and should give them more job security, two top priorities for the U.A.W., though the tenuous nature of the economic recovery will continue to inject some uncertainty.

G.M. said the deal would cover four years. The union declined to give details but said the agreement included improved profit-sharing and “significant improvements to health care benefits.” The deal was also expected to include so-called signing bonuses worth at least several thousand dollars. And the U.A.W. had been seeking a wage increase for entry-level workers, who earn about half as much as other workers.

The union said in a statement that it had successfully fought G.M.’s proposals to weaken retirement benefits and obtain major concessions to health benefits.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/09/17/business/uaw-reports-contract-talks-are-very-close.html

[Bozita]

1. YES! ... Collective bargaining works. No KIAs, MIAs or wounded.

YES! ... Collective bargaining works

[No Elephants]

2. Union, yes

[Sadie5]

3. Yea! Union wins

I remember when the rascals thought they would get permission from the judge to use the members retirement funds to squander away. The judge said NO. I bet that hurt their feelings. They didn't need those pensions to stay in business, they only wanted to have even more money in their own pockets and to bust the union. Hopefully the retirees insurance was addressed.

[IamK]

4. how is this a worker win?

the lowest paid auto workers in the world at $14 get a raise (and they are still the lowest paid) and the people that have been there forever get no raises. Also, the UAW had given up the right to strike so they just had to take whatever GM gave them...There is a reason the UAW is declining to give all the details and GM is happy with the agreement...it will be cost neutral for GM which means $$ is coming out of the workers pocket. It is difficult to negotiate when going in you just hope to keep what you have...

[Cal Carpenter]

5. I guess after a few years of 'how low can you go'

anything looks like a win.

Labor in the US is sure in a sorry state.

[boppers]

7. "lowest paid auto workers in the world"? Where did you get that number?

http://www.globallabourrights.org/reports?id=0631

"Workers manufacturing the popular GM Cruze and Aveo vehicles are paid just 47 to 92 cents an hour."

[muntrv]

6. Here's the Detroit Free Press article regarding the deal.

http://www.freep.com/article/20110918/BUSINESS0104/109180556/GM-UAW-Deal-win-all?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|FRONTPAGE

[unkachuck]

8. in time....

....this will eliminate the 'first-tier' and drive a huge wedge between membership....

"New hires will join the ranks of second-tier workers, who currently make about $14 to $16 an hour. That compares with the roughly $28 an hour made by people hired before fall 2007,..."

....what ever happened to equal pay for equal work? This is anti-Union on it's face....Walter Reuther is rolling over in his grave....