2015 UAW talks unleashed frustration despite gains
Alisa Priddle and Brent Snavely, Detroit Free Press 11:07 p.m. EST November 28, 2015Talks revealed changing culture of union membership and influence of social media
It was one of the longest rounds of UAW negotiations in recent memory with Detroit Three workers old and new expecting a rich contract to make up for years of concessions and union leadership failing to grasp the significance of thousands of new hires experiencing bargaining for the first time. It was a potentially incendiary combination of variables that pushed what many thought might be a quick round of negotiations into extended innings with social media playing a central role. "The twists and turns reflected broad forces at play," said Harley Shaiken, labor professor at University of CaliforniaBerkeley, who followed the talks from the start. "Workers who had been through a traumatic decade of job losses and concessions wanted to regain some of what they had lost." DETROIT FREE PRESSUAW-Ford deal passes, and new era begins for Detroit 3
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Those veteran UAW members work alongside newer employees who do the same work for half the pay. This new entrylevel class those hired after 2007 had never been through bargaining before, never stoked a barrel fire on a picket line and know mostly the good times of an auto industry on the rebound. Companies with record North America profits, but who play on more of a global stage than ever before, sat on the other side of the bargaining table. All automakers manufacture in every corner of the world, and the Detroit Three could not afford to price themselves out of the market with too big a package for workers. DETROIT FREE PRESSTime line of UAW contract talks with Detroit Three
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"The talks may be held in Detroit but what happens in Mexico and China is on the table," Shaiken said. The result was a set of talks with more angst than anyone anticipated. Talks came to a dramatic end Nov. 20 when General Motors and Ford announced ratification of their fouryear contracts. It came eight months after the UAW's March bargaining convention with slogans such as "It's our time" and "bridge the gap" to rally workers eager to eliminate a twotier wage system introduced in 2007. In the end, the sides avoided a strike and the UAW contracts yielded big monetary gains and improved benefits for workers at General Motors, Ford and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles — all without a strike that would have been devastating for an industry booming once again. But the ratification process was long and contentious. Angry workers lashed out on social media and appeared to be spoiling for a fight. Much of the animosity and mistrust was directed at union leadership and even now, as workers prepare to spend big signing bonuses, an air of frustration and mistrust lingers.Bigger gains than expected
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UAW-Ford deal passes, and new era begins for Detroit 3
(http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2015/11/20/fordworkersapprove
(Photo: Eric Seals Detroit Free Press)
It was more than four months after the sun beat down on the official handshake ceremonies that kicked off the formal stage of the talks in July. It was 67 days after the old contracts were supposed to expire and came a day before Detroit's first big snowfall. “I think it lasted much longer than was necessary," said Kristin Dziczek, director of the labor and industry group at the Center for Automotive Research in Ann Arbor. UAW President Dennis Williams and his bargaining teams delivered bigger economic gains to the union's 141,000 autoworkers than many analysts thought possible. UAW President Dennis Williams, right, poses for a photo with Anthony Walker of Kansas City, Kan., Local Union 31, as Dedire Hawkins, 49, left, of Kansas City, Kan., Local 31, takes their photo during day two of the 2015 Special Bargaining Convention at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit Wednesday, March 25, 2015. (Photo: Regina H. Boone Detroit Free Press) Traditional workers will see their first wage increases in 10 years. Those hired after October 2007 have a path to near parity with their most experienced coworkers. Health care and other benefits improved. That is no small feat against a backdrop of real wages for auto manufacturing that have declined 21% from $31.45 an hour in 2003 to $24.83 in 2013, according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics. The rocky road to ratification was filled with jarring moments that led many to question whether UAW leaders had lost their ability to lead. The UAW's first proposed contract with FCA was resoundingly rejected by members who wanted a faster timeline to a higher wage scale and who distrusted a proposal for a new health care cooperative. It was the first national agreement rejected by autoworkers since 1982 and a historic low point for the UAW. The two sides returned to the table and reached a second contract which passed. Talks moved on to GM where workers were divided again: production workers voted yes; skilled trades voted no. The UAW and company revisited terms and after two weeks the deal was declared ratified. That moment came only hours before Ford announced its own results: a squeaker with 51.4% in favor. DETROIT FREE PRESS
UAW declares GM contract ratified
"Bridging the Gap" is one of the themes of the 2015 Special Bargaining Convention at Cobo Center in downtown Detroit Tuesday, March 24, 2015. (Photo: Regina H. Boone
Detroit Free Press)
'It's our time'
UAW VP Jimmy Settles and UAW Local President Bernie Ricke lead a news conference Wednesday, Nov. 19 2015 discussing a proposed Ford contract. (Photo: Brent
Snavely Detroit Free Press)
Mexico's invisible seat at the table
Historically, the UAW uses talks to secure plant investment and job security. Those efforts were hampered by two realities. One is that automakers added so many jobs in the past four years as the industry rebounded that there is not as much room to grow now. And all automakers are building more vehicles in Mexico where labor costs are lower, in part because of a weak peso, and trade agreements make it a superior export base. Virtually every automaker is adding capacity in Mexico, including General Motors, Ford, Toyota, Honda, Volkswagen, Audi, BMW, Hyundai and Mazda. The UAW's attempts to stop further migration of work to Mexico was among its top priorities. DETROIT FREE PRESSWhy Mexico is winning the auto jobs war
(http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/2015/06/13/autoinvestmentplantsjobs
uscanadamexiconafta/27551801/)
In July, just days before formal talks were to begin, Ford shocked the UAW when it announced it would move production of the Focus and CMax small cars out of the country. The expectation is Michigan Assembly Plant's loss is Mexico's gain. Ford is also investing $2.5 billion in Mexico to build new engines and transmissions. DETROIT FREE PRESSFord to invest in engine, transmission plants in Mexico
(http://www.freep.com/story/money/cars/ford/2015/04/14/fordinvestmentmexico
enginetransmissionplant/25771619/)
FCA plans to move production of the Dodge Dart and Chrysler 200 to Mexico.
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