ZCZC
BCN-14
US-AUTOS-GM-LABOR-LEAD
Some 46,000 General Motors auto workers strike in US
DETROIT, Sept 16, 2019 (BSS/AFP) – The United Auto Workers union began a
nationwide strike against General Motors on Monday, with some 46,000 members
walking off the job after contract talks hit an impasse.
The move to strike, which the Wall Street Journal described as the first
major stoppage at GM in more than a decade, came after the manufacturer’s
four-year contract with workers expired without an agreement on a
replacement.
Local union leaders met in Detroit “and opted to strike at midnight on
Sunday,” the UAW said on its Twitter account.
“This is our last resort,” Terry Dittes, the union’s lead negotiator with
GM, told a news conference after the meeting. “We are standing up for the
fundamental rights of working people in this country.”
UAW officials said the two sides remained far apart in the contract
negotiations, with disagreements on wages, health care benefits, the status
of temporary workers and job security.
“Our members have spoken; we have taken action; and this is a decision we
did not make lightly,” Ted Krumm, chair of the UAW’s national bargaining
committee, said in a statement.
“We are standing up for what is right,” Krumm said.
Hours before the strike began, US President Donald Trump tweeted: “Here we
go again with General Motors and the United Auto Workers. Get together and
make a deal!”
GM’s last major strike, according to the Journal, was in 2007 when 73,000
workers at more than 89 facilities walked off the job for two days.
In a statement, GM said it was “disappointing” that the UAW’s leadership
had decided to call the strike, saying it had presented a “strong offer” in
contract negotiations.
“We have negotiated in good faith and with a sense of urgency. Our goal
remains to build a strong future for our employees and our business,” it
said.
UAW’s leadership had previously won overwhelming approval from its rank-
and-file for a strike if it became necessary.
MORE/HR/1438
ZCZC
BCN-15
US-AUTOS-GM-LABOR-LEAD 2 LAST DETROIT
– Strong sales, unclear outlook –
Workers at Ford and Fiat Chrysler agreed to extend their contracts, but GM
management was informed Saturday that the union would not extend its
contract.
Earlier on Sunday, contract maintenance workers walked off the job at GM
plants in Michigan and Ohio in a parallel dispute with contractor Aramark.
GM has enjoyed several years of strong sales, posting $11.8 billion in
operating profits last year, prompting union officials to argue it is time to
share the wealth with workers who have borne the brunt of downturns.
But the outlook for GM is less clear, with concerns growing that a
recession may be in the offing amid protracted trade tensions.
GM announced last November it was effectively shuttering five plants in
North America, including facilities in Michigan and Ohio that were
“unallocated” for production.
Protecting jobs and saving those plants have been key issues in the
negotiations.
In its response to the strike, GM’s management revealed that its offer
included a promise of $7 billion in investments that would save or protect
5,400 union jobs and address the issue of the two “unallocated” plants.
It also promised that a new all-electric truck would be built in a US
plant.
Adding to the friction is a federal corruption probe of the union
leadership, which resulted in an FBI search last month of the home of UAW
President Gary Jones.
A member of the UAW’s executive board, Vance Pearson, was arrested on
Thursday on charges of conspiracy to use union dues for lavish personal
expenses.
Pearson, a UAW director in St. Louis, Missouri, was accused of using union
conferences as a cover to justify long-term stays at luxury resorts in
California.
BSS/AFP/HR/1440