UAW On Strike Against GM

Union Says Job Security Is Top Issue In First Nationwide Strike In 31 Years

(CBS/AP)  Ahrens has seven years at the plant, where she works nights installing speakers in sport utility vehicles. She waited outside the building Monday for her husband, Ron Ahrens, who has worked there for 21 years.

The couple has three children, including a college freshman, and Ahrens worried about how they would pay their bills.

"This is horrible, but we're die-hard union, so we have to," Ahrens said. "We got a mortgage, two car payments and tons of freaking bills."

Gettelfinger said he believed the UAW's leadership owed "our membership an answer as to why they're out there."

"This is as serious as anything that any of us do," he said. "There's not one person on this stage ... that wanted to see these negotiations end in a strike. Who wins in a strike? But again, you can be pushed off a cliff, and that's what we feel like happened here."

Despite the strike, GM stock rose a penny to $34.95 in midday trading.

More than a thousand UAW workers streamed out of GM's Delta Township plant near Lansing at 11 a.m. UAW members were handing out picket signs that said: "UAW On Strike."

"I don't think it's a win for either side. It's too bad it's come to this, but we have given up a lot already," said Pat Haley, 50, from Dimondale, a quality control specialist who has been with GM for 31 years.

While GM has enough cars and trucks to withstand a short strike - the automaker had about a 65-day supply of cars and trucks as September began, according to Paul Taylor, chief economist for the National Automobile Dealers Association - it still would be costly for the company.

The UAW last struck GM in 1998. In that strike, workers at two GM parts plants walked out for 54 days, costing the automaker $2.2 billion. The strike, which occurred between years when national negotiations were held, was over work rules and GM's plans to eliminate jobs.

The negotiations came at a difficult time for both the automakers and the union. Detroit's automakers lost a collective $15 billion last year, and all say they need labor cost parity with their Asian competitors in order to turn consistent profits. GM said it pays its workers $73.26 per hour in wages, pension and health care benefits, while Toyota Motor Corp. pays an estimated $48 per hour, according to an estimate from U.S. automakers. Retiree health costs are a large part of that gap.

The Detroit automakers also face more competition than ever before in the U.S. market. The Detroit automakers' combined share of their home market has plunged from 73 percent in 1996 to 54 percent last year. In August, Detroit's Big Three controlled less than 50 percent of the U.S. market for the first time.

The union also is feeling pressure. UAW membership has fallen from a high of 1.5 million active members in 1979 to around 576,000 today, and the union already has agreed to massive buyout plans and changes to retiree health care to help the automakers.

[rationall7]

Want to buy an Import then you have few to choose from because Honda Accord is made in East Liberty, OH and the Anna,OH plant is Honda''s largest engine facility in the world. Toyota''s Kentucky plant is 20 years old and Texas produces the Tundra there. What about pricing, well Pontiac G6 MSRP 19,345 Toyota Camry 25,00 in spin theory you save about $5,000 on the Toyota. How about Hyundai it''s an import no union, cheap labor the Sonata MSRP 18,870 in spin theory you save $9,000 on the import (Korea). I dare you to compare pricing on GM cars and you''ll find in most cases the cost is lower now quality is a different issue in that the consumer appears to be willing to spend more for something and it must be quality.
Here is an area GM falls short and after they "Killed The Electric Car" was on Hybird cars, they were one of the last one''s to enter that market so management dropped the ball on that issue not the unions. For the cheap thinking turn coats lets out source our army, China can protect us at a cheaper cost and maybe they can find Bin Laden.

[slim1h2o]

RESTORE OUR LIBERTY, FREEDOMS & AMERICA! DESTROY CORRUPT POLITICANS & CORPORATIONS GET ACTIVE IN YOUR CITY TODAY, TAKE ACTION! JOIN THE REVOLUTION: http://ronpaul.meetup.com/cities/

He Will Eliminate the IRS! And Stop The War In Iraq Immediatley! Restore And Protect America From Illegal Immigration! http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

He''
''s America''''s Last Hope!


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by GetLoud1 at 06:55 PM : Sep 25, 2007

I ain''t joining nothing, I fell into that trap years ago. I''ll join, send me a check! Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice shame on me! Got it!

[getloud1]

RESTORE OUR LIBERTY, FREEDOMS & AMERICA! DESTROY CORRUPT POLITICANS & CORPORATIONS GET ACTIVE IN YOUR CITY TODAY, TAKE ACTION! JOIN THE REVOLUTION: http://ronpaul.meetup.com/cities/

He Will Eliminate the IRS! And Stop The War In Iraq Immediatley! Restore And Protect America From Illegal Immigration! http://www.ronpaul2008.com/issues

He''s America''s Last Hope!

[Krazcarl]

whispyseas see you have some new stash you ain''t nothing but a troll looking for attention you have it the world thinks your an idiot did your moma have any children that weren''t brain damaged are you happy now to have someone to hate.

[thgdriver]

"The bargaining involves complex, difficult issues that affect the job security of our U.S. work force and the long-term viability of the company,"


that''s correct---Job security starts with "YOURSELF" and the job "YOU" do day in, day out. I don''t care if you work in a bakery, window factory, whatever.

If YOU crush the bread nobody is going to buy it, if YOU put in too much salt, nobody is going to buy it again. When the "bakery" goes out of business SO ARE YOU!

That''s true in any business including the assembly lines at Ford and GM maned by "I don''t give a damm, the union will protect me" greedy UAW!!

[ioweign]

Who determines the price ?

Who sets up the quality control standards ?


Posted by IOWEIGN

You conveniently left something off your post.

WHO IS THE PERSON DOING THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE??! Who is on strike right now--today--for more----to do less???

The list of shiit was "endless", climate control problems, all kinds of things left lose and rattling, on and on.

Sure the quality control people missed a lot, but should that leave the UAW off the hook for shiity workmanship??

Posted by thgdriver at 11:39 AM : Sep 25, 2007

They are not asking for more !

I worked on an assembly line in an electronic company - there was a quality control in each step of manufacturing of the item.

I bet you had a checklist that you used on each vehicle. In a factory, those checklist can vary from day to day - depending on quantity over quality - try walking in someone elses shoes before you put them down.

[thgdriver]

BTW--- I worked at that dealer a long time, how long? none of your business, but there was no union, no job security except showing up every day and doing my job "PROPERLY" and being paid a "fair wage" and benefits package.

[thgdriver]

Who determines the price ?

Who sets up the quality control standards ?


Posted by IOWEIGN

You conveniently left something off your post.

WHO IS THE PERSON DOING THE ACTUAL WORK ON THE ASSEMBLY LINE??! Who is on strike right now--today--for more----to do less???

The list of shiit was "endless", climate control problems, all kinds of things left lose and rattling, on and on.

Sure the quality control people missed a lot, but should that leave the UAW off the hook for shiity workmanship??

[usayesterday]

The UAW went on strike, for one of the biggest reasons: "job security".

What allows "job security" to happen in a capitalist/free-market society?

Nothing. It''s that simple.

There is NOTHING that guarantees job security in our capitalist society unless there are laws made by federal, state, or local governments that set aside "tenure" guarantees for specific jobs. Of course, those jobs are mostly government related, such as classroom teachers or military personnel for example.

So unless you''re teaching our children, or fighting for our country... your job, their job(s), as well as mine, are all subject to market forces that are beyond our control.

However, I do place most of the blame on the decision makers at GM. If they wanted a stronger, more profitable company, they could take lessons from Honda and Toyota and start building better quality cars that more Americans want to buy! A decent sized car these days cost more than $15,000. That''s no drop-in-the-bucket for Americans who make less than six-digit annual salaries! We want better quality! And if a company doesn''t make the products with better quality, then bye bye job security. (Sadly, its the job security of those who have little or no control in the decision making that ends up suffering the most).

[ioweign]

It took 3 of us just to make the cars/trucks deliverable to our sales department for sale out of a force of 25. The shiit that came off that assembly line and delivered to us was a joke!! Thanks for the job security though UAW!!

Posted by thgdriver at 11:15 AM : Sep 25, 2007

GM management determines the degree of quality coming off the line.

[thgdriver]

It took 3 of us just to make the cars/trucks deliverable to our sales department for sale out of a force of 25. The shiit that came off that assembly line and delivered to us was a joke!! Thanks for the job security though UAW!!

[thgdriver]

Let''''s go after an workers organization that is trying to keep the jobs in this country (job security) - you guys really need some porch lights and please get the brightest bulbs !

Posted by IOWEIGN

You are so right, that dealership I worked at was founded in 1948 and is still going strong. As long as the UAW are building shoddily building cars/trucks, the technicians at that dealership will always have jobs.

[valentin73]

BE GLAD YOU (UAWrs) HAVE A JOB!!!
MANY ARE OUT OF WORK (LIKE I)
FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!!!
WHO CARES IF GM SELLS OR DOESN''T SELL CARS.

[ioweign]

By the way, this is all passed on to the customer in the Manu. sug. price. They have a sliding amount that they know the dealer will have to fix by the number of cars built and delivered. What a shame!!

Hey UAW worker, how about posting what you were earning in 1995 including all benefits while I had to repair, adjust, realign, and cover your screw ups and shoddy workmanship.

Posted by thgdriver at 10:52 AM : Sep 25, 2007

Who determines the price ?

Who sets up the quality control standards ?

[ioweign]

If you want to look a mobsters look at the present Admin !
Posted by IOWEIGN at 10:20 AM : Sep 25, 2007

Oh please....you are a true ***!

Posted by SignOf4 at 10:32 AM : Sep 25, 2007

Let''s go after an workers organization that is trying to keep the jobs in this country (job security) - you guys really need some porch lights and please get the brightest bulbs !

[thgdriver]

I worked at a local Automobile Dealership for a number of years. When the car/truck is delivered at the dealer, GM/Ford pays the dealer to go over the car/truck it''''s called pre-delivery checkup.

You should have seen the workmanship or lack of--doors that don''''t fit, trunks and hoods wont open, windows and locks that wont move, glove box that won''''t stay shut or open, wind noise, water leaks, Don''''t start, don''''t shift, bearing noise, differential noise. The list is endless.

I had to fix at "half" the hourly rate what the overpaid UAW guys and gals did not "build right" to begin with.

By the way, this is all passed on to the customer in the Manu. sug. price. They have a sliding amount that they know the dealer will have to fix by the number of cars built and delivered. What a shame!!

Hey UAW worker, how about posting what you were earning in 1995 including all benefits while I had to repair, adjust, realign, and cover your screw ups and shoddy workmanship.

[mbcsmith]

More fear tactics and generalizations.

If you want to look a mobsters look at the present Admin !


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Posted by IOWEIGN at 10:20 AM : Sep 25

I don''t see how your partisan comment addresses the matter at hand. The labor unions and their crime bosses are the greatest threat facing American industry today!

[signof4]

If you want to look a mobsters look at the present Admin !
Posted by IOWEIGN at 10:20 AM : Sep 25, 2007

Oh please....you are a true ***!

[ioweign]

The price of your new GM is about to skyrocket BECAUSE of your labor union MOBSTER pals. If you think gas prices are high now, wait until the Iranians control the Mid east Gulf region.

Posted by mbcsmith at 10:13 AM : Sep 25, 2007


More fear tactics and generalizations.

If you want to look a mobsters look at the present Admin !

[mbcsmith]

Wake up - It is there NOW !

Why go for the oil in Iraq when you won''''t be able to buy the gas or the auto ??




--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The price of your new GM is about to skyrocket BECAUSE of your labor union MOBSTER pals. If you think gas prices are high now, wait until the Iranians control the Mid east Gulf region.