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Details emerged Wednesday of the labor agreement between the United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The overall contract is similar to the one agreed to by Ford last month. The four year contract includes: Signing bonus of $9,000 for full-time employees, $3,500 for temporary workers. Full-time workers can now reach the top pay bracket in four years rather than the current eight. FCA will create 7,900 jobs through 2023 which includes the 6,500 jobs already announced for a new plant in Detroit. $9 Billion in U.S. manufacturing investments. Dissolution of the jointly-run National Training Center, the focal point of a federal corruption investigation. An increase in profit sharing from $800 per percent of N.A. profit margin to $900 per percent. "In-progression" employees will now get the same healthcare as senior hourly employees. FCA will also offer $60,000 retirement packages to eligable workers in Belvidere Assembly, Marysville Axle, Mount Elliot, and a parts-distribution center in Wisconsin. UAW leaders from the various plants are meeting in Detroit to review the deal and decide whether to send it to the rank-and-file membership as a whole for ratification. If approved for voting, it will likely start on Friday and take a week to complete. FCA is the final of the domestic auto manufacturers to complete their deal with the UAW. View full article
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Details emerged Wednesday of the labor agreement between the United Auto Workers and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The overall contract is similar to the one agreed to by Ford last month. The four year contract includes: Signing bonus of $9,000 for full-time employees, $3,500 for temporary workers. Full-time workers can now reach the top pay bracket in four years rather than the current eight. FCA will create 7,900 jobs through 2023 which includes the 6,500 jobs already announced for a new plant in Detroit. $9 Billion in U.S. manufacturing investments. Dissolution of the jointly-run National Training Center, the focal point of a federal corruption investigation. An increase in profit sharing from $800 per percent of N.A. profit margin to $900 per percent. "In-progression" employees will now get the same healthcare as senior hourly employees. FCA will also offer $60,000 retirement packages to eligable workers in Belvidere Assembly, Marysville Axle, Mount Elliot, and a parts-distribution center in Wisconsin. UAW leaders from the various plants are meeting in Detroit to review the deal and decide whether to send it to the rank-and-file membership as a whole for ratification. If approved for voting, it will likely start on Friday and take a week to complete. FCA is the final of the domestic auto manufacturers to complete their deal with the UAW. -
After a lengthy strike at General Motors that cost the company $2.9 billion, the UAW has agreed to a contract with Ford that looks remarkably similar to the one they got with General Motors. Ford workers ratified the deal on Friday with 56.3 percent voting yes to the new four year agreement. The agreement says that Ford will invest more than $6 billion in its U.S. plants and add or retain 8,500 UAW jobs. The UAW used the GM contract as a template for negotiations with Ford. Like the GM contract, there are no changes in healthcare coverage, there is a pathway to full-time employment for temporary workers, pay raises, and lump-sum payments spread over 4 years. The UAW now will turn its attention on FCA where negotiations are due to begin on Monday. -
After a lengthy strike at General Motors that cost the company $2.9 billion, the UAW has agreed to a contract with Ford that looks remarkably similar to the one they got with General Motors. Ford workers ratified the deal on Friday with 56.3 percent voting yes to the new four year agreement. The agreement says that Ford will invest more than $6 billion in its U.S. plants and add or retain 8,500 UAW jobs. The UAW used the GM contract as a template for negotiations with Ford. Like the GM contract, there are no changes in healthcare coverage, there is a pathway to full-time employment for temporary workers, pay raises, and lump-sum payments spread over 4 years. The UAW now will turn its attention on FCA where negotiations are due to begin on Monday. View full article
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It has been a tense couple of months at GM Korea. Back in February, the company announced a restructuring plan for the division which included the closure of the Gunsan plant (one of the four plants operating in South Korea), and voluntary redundancies for 2,600 workers to stem the hemorrhaging of cash. Recently, GM has been pushing its workers’ union for concessions that would total $80 million. This is part of an effort to get a $500 million injection from the South Korean government to pay suppliers and workers. The workers union weren't buying, threatening to strike and trashing company executive offices earlier this month. Then GM threw down the gauntlet, either agree to the concessions by April 20th or we begin bankruptcy proceedings. “Without concessions from the labor union and clear resolution from stakeholders, the company has no choice but to go ahead with rehabilitation proceedings,” said GM Korea executive Kaher Kazem in an email to employees. Unfortunately, the date passed with no agreement and it seemed bankruptcy was on the horizon. But both GM and union rep would continue to talk over the weekend to see if a deal could be reached. At the 11th hour, an agreement was reached. “Through the latest agreement, GM Korea will be a competitive manufacturing company,” said Kazem in a statement today. According to Reuters who got to see the deal, the union agreed to freeze base wages, skip bonuses for this year, and cut back on benefits. “The labor union made huge concessions to save the company,” said Hong Young-pyo, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party who worked on the mediation between the two groups. A union spokesman declined to comment when contacted by Reuters, only saying that workers will vote on the agreement later this week. The deal now allows the Korean government to fund Korea Development Bank (KDB) - the second largest shareholder in GM Korea - to provide support. It also allows GM to allocate two new models for the region. But some analysts are still uncertain as to the future of GM Korea. Labor costs, poor sales, and expensive export costs have some wondering if GM is in it for the long run or are planning an exit strategy. “GM has extended the lifeline of GM Korea, but not sure how long it will last,” said Lee Hang-koo, a senior research fellow at Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade. Source: Reuters View full article -
It has been a tense couple of months at GM Korea. Back in February, the company announced a restructuring plan for the division which included the closure of the Gunsan plant (one of the four plants operating in South Korea), and voluntary redundancies for 2,600 workers to stem the hemorrhaging of cash. Recently, GM has been pushing its workers’ union for concessions that would total $80 million. This is part of an effort to get a $500 million injection from the South Korean government to pay suppliers and workers. The workers union weren't buying, threatening to strike and trashing company executive offices earlier this month. Then GM threw down the gauntlet, either agree to the concessions by April 20th or we begin bankruptcy proceedings. “Without concessions from the labor union and clear resolution from stakeholders, the company has no choice but to go ahead with rehabilitation proceedings,” said GM Korea executive Kaher Kazem in an email to employees. Unfortunately, the date passed with no agreement and it seemed bankruptcy was on the horizon. But both GM and union rep would continue to talk over the weekend to see if a deal could be reached. At the 11th hour, an agreement was reached. “Through the latest agreement, GM Korea will be a competitive manufacturing company,” said Kazem in a statement today. According to Reuters who got to see the deal, the union agreed to freeze base wages, skip bonuses for this year, and cut back on benefits. “The labor union made huge concessions to save the company,” said Hong Young-pyo, a lawmaker of the ruling Democratic Party who worked on the mediation between the two groups. A union spokesman declined to comment when contacted by Reuters, only saying that workers will vote on the agreement later this week. The deal now allows the Korean government to fund Korea Development Bank (KDB) - the second largest shareholder in GM Korea - to provide support. It also allows GM to allocate two new models for the region. But some analysts are still uncertain as to the future of GM Korea. Labor costs, poor sales, and expensive export costs have some wondering if GM is in it for the long run or are planning an exit strategy. “GM has extended the lifeline of GM Korea, but not sure how long it will last,” said Lee Hang-koo, a senior research fellow at Korea Institute for Industrial Economics & Trade. Source: Reuters -
The strike at General Motors' CAMI Assembly plant, home of the Chevrolet Equinox has come to an end. Today, 86 percent of Unifor Local 88 members voted yes on a new 4-year contract. With the approval, workers will resume work at the plant beginning at 7 PM tonight for early start-up, with production beginning at 11 PM. Here is what new 4-year contract include Stronger language around job security. Union said the new contract would make it more costly for GM to close down CAMI - $290 million vs. $190 million. If CAMI is shuttered, employees near retirement will still be able to get into a retirement program. Workers will get a 4 percent wage hike and $8,000 in lump-sum payments over the contract New hires on the production line will see an accelerated pace in terms of their wages increased to the max of $34.15 per hour A $6,000 performance bonus once the deal is ratified "The ratification of a new 4-year agreement between GM Canada and Unifor Local 88 at CAMI Assembly is welcome news for our company, employees and the community. We have an outstanding new product at CAMI with the Chevrolet Equinox and I am confident that we will quickly pull together to continue to demonstrate to the world the outstanding productivity, innovation and quality that is synonymous with the CAMI workforce," said Steve Carlisle, President of GM Canada in a statement. There is one thing missing from this contract, a written assurance that CAMI would be the lead producer of the Equinox. This was the major point of contention between the two during negoations. It is clear that Unifor officials are not happy with this contract. “The end result was not the result we were hoping for, it shows the true colors of GM,” Unifor Local 88 Chair Mike Van Boekel said in a statement to members. Given these actions, our demand to protect the Equinox was not only fair and reasonable, it simply made sense. Our members had every reason to make this [lead producer] demand, and did everything to demonstrate it was a demand that deserved to be met. However, at the highest levels of General Motors corporate in Detroit, they coldly refused. As a result and after much internal discussion, we decided that we could not, in good conscience, ask for more economic sacrifice from you in this fight,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. We have to wonder if GM's threat of ramping up Equinox production in Mexico issued last week was the turning point. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), CBC News, GM Press Release is on Page 2 2017 CAMI / UNIFOR NEGOTIATIONS The ratification of a new 4-year agreement between GM Canada and Unifor Local 88 at CAMI Assembly is welcome news for our company, employees and the community. We have an outstanding new product at CAMI with the Chevrolet Equinox and I am confident that we will quickly pull together to continue to demonstrate to the world the outstanding productivity, innovation and quality that is synonymous with the CAMI workforce. I want to extend thanks to the local and national Unifor teams who have worked long hours together with the GM negotiating team these past many weeks. The negotiations process requires a great deal of straight talk, creative problem solving, and compromise to achieve a positive outcome for both the membership and the Company. Success is also achieved by remembering that we are here to serve our customers proudly and deliver the very best product and services to them. Having grown up in Southwestern Ontario, the CAMI plant and the Oxford County community mean a great deal to me. The challenges of the past months have been hard on all of us but now it’s time to show the character of our region and our plant. With the recent $800 million investment at the CAMI plant and this agreement, it is up to each of us to demonstrate the unparalleled value we deliver as leaders within Canada’s auto sector. The employees at CAMI have created a culture of team involvement and continuous improvement resulting in numerous industry awards for vehicle quality and productivity. I am confident that by working as one team, that will continue for years to come. Steve Carlisle President and Managing Director General Motors Canada View full article
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The strike at General Motors' CAMI Assembly plant, home of the Chevrolet Equinox has come to an end. Today, 86 percent of Unifor Local 88 members voted yes on a new 4-year contract. With the approval, workers will resume work at the plant beginning at 7 PM tonight for early start-up, with production beginning at 11 PM. Here is what new 4-year contract include Stronger language around job security. Union said the new contract would make it more costly for GM to close down CAMI - $290 million vs. $190 million. If CAMI is shuttered, employees near retirement will still be able to get into a retirement program. Workers will get a 4 percent wage hike and $8,000 in lump-sum payments over the contract New hires on the production line will see an accelerated pace in terms of their wages increased to the max of $34.15 per hour A $6,000 performance bonus once the deal is ratified "The ratification of a new 4-year agreement between GM Canada and Unifor Local 88 at CAMI Assembly is welcome news for our company, employees and the community. We have an outstanding new product at CAMI with the Chevrolet Equinox and I am confident that we will quickly pull together to continue to demonstrate to the world the outstanding productivity, innovation and quality that is synonymous with the CAMI workforce," said Steve Carlisle, President of GM Canada in a statement. There is one thing missing from this contract, a written assurance that CAMI would be the lead producer of the Equinox. This was the major point of contention between the two during negoations. It is clear that Unifor officials are not happy with this contract. “The end result was not the result we were hoping for, it shows the true colors of GM,” Unifor Local 88 Chair Mike Van Boekel said in a statement to members. Given these actions, our demand to protect the Equinox was not only fair and reasonable, it simply made sense. Our members had every reason to make this [lead producer] demand, and did everything to demonstrate it was a demand that deserved to be met. However, at the highest levels of General Motors corporate in Detroit, they coldly refused. As a result and after much internal discussion, we decided that we could not, in good conscience, ask for more economic sacrifice from you in this fight,” said Unifor National President Jerry Dias. We have to wonder if GM's threat of ramping up Equinox production in Mexico issued last week was the turning point. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), CBC News, GM Press Release is on Page 2 2017 CAMI / UNIFOR NEGOTIATIONS The ratification of a new 4-year agreement between GM Canada and Unifor Local 88 at CAMI Assembly is welcome news for our company, employees and the community. We have an outstanding new product at CAMI with the Chevrolet Equinox and I am confident that we will quickly pull together to continue to demonstrate to the world the outstanding productivity, innovation and quality that is synonymous with the CAMI workforce. I want to extend thanks to the local and national Unifor teams who have worked long hours together with the GM negotiating team these past many weeks. The negotiations process requires a great deal of straight talk, creative problem solving, and compromise to achieve a positive outcome for both the membership and the Company. Success is also achieved by remembering that we are here to serve our customers proudly and deliver the very best product and services to them. Having grown up in Southwestern Ontario, the CAMI plant and the Oxford County community mean a great deal to me. The challenges of the past months have been hard on all of us but now it’s time to show the character of our region and our plant. With the recent $800 million investment at the CAMI plant and this agreement, it is up to each of us to demonstrate the unparalleled value we deliver as leaders within Canada’s auto sector. The employees at CAMI have created a culture of team involvement and continuous improvement resulting in numerous industry awards for vehicle quality and productivity. I am confident that by working as one team, that will continue for years to come. Steve Carlisle President and Managing Director General Motors Canada -
Last month, the United Auto Workers established a local chapter for workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. This month, opponents of the UAW are working on establishing their own union chapter. According to Reuters, opponents are creating the first chapter of American Council of Employees, which will allow hourly and salary workers to join. Mike Burton, a key player in defeating the UAW's efforts to represent hourly workers in Chattanooga, is leading the efforts in creating this new union. He tells Reuters that since the UAW lost, more workers have come over to the UAW's side. The hope with this new union is that it will force Volkswagen to hold another vote to decide which union employees want. Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the UAW, told Reuters that he doesn't think the new union will succeed due to Volkswagen already recognizing the local chapter. Also helping matters is that the chapter has "substantially more than 700 members" at the plant that employs 1500 hourly workers. Burton only has 108 signatures. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. View full article
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Last month, the United Auto Workers established a local chapter for workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga, Tennessee plant. This month, opponents of the UAW are working on establishing their own union chapter. According to Reuters, opponents are creating the first chapter of American Council of Employees, which will allow hourly and salary workers to join. Mike Burton, a key player in defeating the UAW's efforts to represent hourly workers in Chattanooga, is leading the efforts in creating this new union. He tells Reuters that since the UAW lost, more workers have come over to the UAW's side. The hope with this new union is that it will force Volkswagen to hold another vote to decide which union employees want. Gary Casteel, secretary-treasurer of the UAW, told Reuters that he doesn't think the new union will succeed due to Volkswagen already recognizing the local chapter. Also helping matters is that the chapter has "substantially more than 700 members" at the plant that employs 1500 hourly workers. Burton only has 108 signatures. Source: Reuters William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached [email protected] or you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. -
Volkswagen Chattanooga Votes Against Union Representation
William Maley posted an article in Volkswagen
The workers Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee have made their decision on union representation. On Friday night, retired Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Sam Payne released the results of the three day vote which saw workers say no to UAW representation by a vote of 712 people opposed to 626 people in favor. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have spoken, and Volkswagen will respect the decision of the majority," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. The decision makes the Chattanooga plant an outlier in Volkswagen's portfolio of plants. Most of them are are unionized, relying on special works councils that represent employees in important business decisions. If the plant had approved the union representation, they would be represented by a work council. It also deals a heavy blow to the UAW which for the past two years spent a lot of time and money working on trying to get the plant unionized. "While we certainly would have liked a victory for workers here, we deeply respect the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council, Volkswagen management and IG Metall for doing their best to create a free and open atmosphere for workers to exercise their basic human right to form a union," said UAW President Bob King. "We commend Volkswagen for its commitment to global human rights, to worker rights and trying to provide an atmosphere of freedom to make a decision. Unfortunately, politically motivated third parties threatened the economic future of this facility and the opportunity for workers to create a successful operating model that that would grow jobs in Tennessee," said UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who directs the union's Southern organizing. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), UAW, Volkswagen William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 Historic election brings outside interference in the vote of Chattanooga Volkswagen workers 02/14/14 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant today have voted against union representation that would have led to the establishment of a works council that would have been the first such model of labor-management relations in the United States. At the end of voting on Friday, Volkswagen workers voted against joining the union in a vote of 712 to 626. The decision follows three days of voting during an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board and comes amid a firestorm of interference and threats from special interest groups. "While we certainly would have liked a victory for workers here, we deeply respect the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council, Volkswagen management and IG Metall for doing their best to create a free and open atmosphere for workers to exercise their basic human right to form a union," said UAW President Bob King. "We commend Volkswagen for its commitment to global human rights, to worker rights and trying to provide an atmosphere of freedom to make a decision," said UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who directs the union's Southern organizing. "Unfortunately, politically motivated third parties threatened the economic future of this facility and the opportunity for workers to create a successful operating model that that would grow jobs in Tennessee." "While we're outraged by politicians and outside special interest groups interfering with the basic legal right of workers to form a union, we're proud that these workers were brave and stood up to the tremendous pressure from outside," said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Williams, who directs the union's transnational program. "We hope this will start a larger discussion about workers' right to organize." VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA EMPLOYEES VOTE AGAINST UNION REPRESENTATION Feb 14, 2014 Chattanooga, Tenn. (February 14, 2014) - Volkswagen Chattanooga employees have voted in a secret ballot election against United Auto Workers (UAW) representation. Participation in the election was 89 percent. 53 percent of the eligible employees who voted decided against the UAW as their bargaining representative in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) between February 12 – 14. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have spoken, and Volkswagen will respect the decision of the majority," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. "The election results remain to be certified by the NLRB," Fischer, said. "Our employees have not made a decision that they are against a works council. Throughout this process, we found great enthusiasm for the idea of an American-style works council both inside and outside our plant," Fischer noted. "Our goal continues to be to determine the best method for establishing a works council in accordance with the requirements of U.S. labor law to meet VW America's production needs and serve our employees' interests," Fischer said. Sebastian Patta, Vice President for Human Resources, said: "While there was intense outside interest in this election, our managers and employees inside the plant maintained high quality production and continued to work together in a calm and respectful manner." "Our commitment to Tennessee is a long term investment. We look forward to continuing to work with the State of Tennessee and the City of Chattanooga to support job creation, growth, and economic development today and into the future," Fischer added. -
The workers Volkswagen's Chattanooga assembly plant in Tennessee have made their decision on union representation. On Friday night, retired Tennessee Circuit Court Judge Sam Payne released the results of the three day vote which saw workers say no to UAW representation by a vote of 712 people opposed to 626 people in favor. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have spoken, and Volkswagen will respect the decision of the majority," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. The decision makes the Chattanooga plant an outlier in Volkswagen's portfolio of plants. Most of them are are unionized, relying on special works councils that represent employees in important business decisions. If the plant had approved the union representation, they would be represented by a work council. It also deals a heavy blow to the UAW which for the past two years spent a lot of time and money working on trying to get the plant unionized. "While we certainly would have liked a victory for workers here, we deeply respect the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council, Volkswagen management and IG Metall for doing their best to create a free and open atmosphere for workers to exercise their basic human right to form a union," said UAW President Bob King. "We commend Volkswagen for its commitment to global human rights, to worker rights and trying to provide an atmosphere of freedom to make a decision. Unfortunately, politically motivated third parties threatened the economic future of this facility and the opportunity for workers to create a successful operating model that that would grow jobs in Tennessee," said UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who directs the union's Southern organizing. Source: Automotive News (Subscription Required), UAW, Volkswagen William Maley is a staff writer for Cheers & Gears. He can be reached at [email protected] you can follow him on twitter at @realmudmonster. Press Release is on Page 2 Historic election brings outside interference in the vote of Chattanooga Volkswagen workers 02/14/14 CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Workers at Volkswagen's Chattanooga plant today have voted against union representation that would have led to the establishment of a works council that would have been the first such model of labor-management relations in the United States. At the end of voting on Friday, Volkswagen workers voted against joining the union in a vote of 712 to 626. The decision follows three days of voting during an election supervised by the National Labor Relations Board and comes amid a firestorm of interference and threats from special interest groups. "While we certainly would have liked a victory for workers here, we deeply respect the Volkswagen Global Group Works Council, Volkswagen management and IG Metall for doing their best to create a free and open atmosphere for workers to exercise their basic human right to form a union," said UAW President Bob King. "We commend Volkswagen for its commitment to global human rights, to worker rights and trying to provide an atmosphere of freedom to make a decision," said UAW Region 8 Director Gary Casteel, who directs the union's Southern organizing. "Unfortunately, politically motivated third parties threatened the economic future of this facility and the opportunity for workers to create a successful operating model that that would grow jobs in Tennessee." "While we're outraged by politicians and outside special interest groups interfering with the basic legal right of workers to form a union, we're proud that these workers were brave and stood up to the tremendous pressure from outside," said UAW Secretary-Treasurer Dennis Williams, who directs the union's transnational program. "We hope this will start a larger discussion about workers' right to organize." VOLKSWAGEN CHATTANOOGA EMPLOYEES VOTE AGAINST UNION REPRESENTATION Feb 14, 2014 Chattanooga, Tenn. (February 14, 2014) - Volkswagen Chattanooga employees have voted in a secret ballot election against United Auto Workers (UAW) representation. Participation in the election was 89 percent. 53 percent of the eligible employees who voted decided against the UAW as their bargaining representative in an election conducted by the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) between February 12 – 14. "On behalf of Volkswagen Group of America, I want to thank all of our Chattanooga production and maintenance employees for their participation in this week's vote. They have spoken, and Volkswagen will respect the decision of the majority," said Frank Fischer, CEO and Chairman of Volkswagen Chattanooga. "The election results remain to be certified by the NLRB," Fischer, said. "Our employees have not made a decision that they are against a works council. Throughout this process, we found great enthusiasm for the idea of an American-style works council both inside and outside our plant," Fischer noted. "Our goal continues to be to determine the best method for establishing a works council in accordance with the requirements of U.S. labor law to meet VW America's production needs and serve our employees' interests," Fischer said. Sebastian Patta, Vice President for Human Resources, said: "While there was intense outside interest in this election, our managers and employees inside the plant maintained high quality production and continued to work together in a calm and respectful manner." "Our commitment to Tennessee is a long term investment. We look forward to continuing to work with the State of Tennessee and the City of Chattanooga to support job creation, growth, and economic development today and into the future," Fischer added. View full article
