UAW strike
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
https://qz.com/work/1709846/gm-strik...ons-runs-high/
But the positive news for the workers is that this time around, the union should have unprecedented public support on its side. This year Gallup found that 64% of Americans approve of unions, which is among the highest of approval ratings seen in the past 50 years, and a full 10 percentage points above the average approval rating for organized labor since 1967.
Last edited by mmarshall; Oct 3, 2019 at 04:17 PM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,300
Likes: 4
From: RightHere
According to the Detroit Free Press GM essentially wants to cap its labor costs and control the composition of its workforce as it moves to get into an electric car/autonomous vehicle future. The billion dollar loss due to the strike is a gamble by GM management because it thought the workers would eventually get fed up and tell their union to get them back to work.
The company is sitting on a pile of cash: at the end of the second quarter GM had $17.5B in cash. In 2018 it made $11.8B with the existing labor cost structure of the UAW, which amounts to about $63/hr. GM wants to drive that down to $50/hr and to use the savings to fund this transition to an electric/autonomous future. $50/hr is what the non-union Japanese car companies have as their labor cost in the south.
So crying some crocodile tears for GM isn't really necessary. It can handle a gamble like this for awhile yet, but things could get uncomfortable for management once Wall Street gets antsy and starts shouting at Mary Barra and her execs.
https://eu.freep.com/story/money/car...co/3846417002/
The company is sitting on a pile of cash: at the end of the second quarter GM had $17.5B in cash. In 2018 it made $11.8B with the existing labor cost structure of the UAW, which amounts to about $63/hr. GM wants to drive that down to $50/hr and to use the savings to fund this transition to an electric/autonomous future. $50/hr is what the non-union Japanese car companies have as their labor cost in the south.
So crying some crocodile tears for GM isn't really necessary. It can handle a gamble like this for awhile yet, but things could get uncomfortable for management once Wall Street gets antsy and starts shouting at Mary Barra and her execs.
https://eu.freep.com/story/money/car...co/3846417002/
The uaw workers still working should be thankful they have jobs.
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Don't get me wrong. I like low prices myself (who doesn't)?......but, in my book, not at the expense of those who suffer in order to produce that merchandise at those rock-bottom prices. Look, for example, at some of the recent disasters that have happened at those Third-World plants, where building-collapses and flash-fires have hurt or killed hundreds, if not thousands.
The uaw workers still working should be thankful they have jobs.
........just like Asian, African, and Latin American workers in the sweat shops? Sure....they should all be grateful that companies can treat them like doormats. Let them celebrate it with a cake and a bottle of champagne.
Last edited by mmarshall; Oct 3, 2019 at 10:06 PM.
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
On a slightly different note (I'm not sure if this requires a new thread or not) a Federal Judge ruled against Tesla, on the grounds that the company mistreated pro-union employees....although it was for incidents that happened some time ago.
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...rb-judge-rules
https://www.bloomberg.com/news/artic...rb-judge-rules
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,474
Likes: 383
From: ON/NY
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
......And it's going to get even worse for GM very soon. Even apart from the strike, the all-new Lincoln Corsair is now starting to reach dealerships, and is going to give the smaller Cadillac and GMC crossovers some real competition.
I'm going out tomorrow, before rain moves in, to try and do at least a static-review of a Corsair, and (if the first ones coming in aren't sold out or pre-sold), a test drive.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Nov 2011
Posts: 35,474
Likes: 383
From: ON/NY
......And it's going to get even worse for GM very soon. Even apart from the strike, the all-new Lincoln Corsair is now starting to reach dealerships, and is going to give the smaller Cadillac and GMC crossovers some real competition.
I'm going out tomorrow, before rain moves in, to try and do at least a static-review of a Corsair, and (if the first ones coming in aren't sold out or pre-sold), a test drive.
I'm going out tomorrow, before rain moves in, to try and do at least a static-review of a Corsair, and (if the first ones coming in aren't sold out or pre-sold), a test drive.
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Oh, I agree that the Corsair itself is not directly related to the strike (I stated that above)...but it is obviously not going to make the strike-conditions any easier for GM. Not only the UAW, but at least some of the general public is also avoiding GM products, in support of the strike (don't ask me for any hard numbers, because there aren't any estimates yet). In the next few weeks, they aren't going to be in Cadillac or GMC shops looking at the XT4/XT5 or Terrain/Acadia...they are probably going to be looking at the Corsair.
Intermediate
Joined: Dec 2017
Posts: 413
Likes: 43
From: PA
It's too bad to see this strike happening. Both the Big 3 and workers are on the same sinking ship, where the workers are letting the ship take on water and management is saying the ol rusty ship is still beautiful and floats, who knows what the insides look like. The profits are not going to turn around the industry in a big way or replace the ship.
It wasn't long ago that we had glass TV's -- the ol' big boob tubes. They gave way to larger flat screen. It sure changed the market in a hurry over 10-15 years.
EV's may be only a small % now. It simplifies the cost and how it is made. Tesla certainly is the new ship in the harbor. They can get a whole new plant up and running in one year (eg china). 3-4 more years means repeating this formula several more times. How will the Big3 and UAW compete when unwilling to adapt to the changing times. The market picture can change a lot in 10-15 years. I sincerely hope they can adapt with the best talents they have for a new Big 3 future america can be proud of. The reality is we need both EV and ICE vehicles.
It wasn't long ago that we had glass TV's -- the ol' big boob tubes. They gave way to larger flat screen. It sure changed the market in a hurry over 10-15 years.
EV's may be only a small % now. It simplifies the cost and how it is made. Tesla certainly is the new ship in the harbor. They can get a whole new plant up and running in one year (eg china). 3-4 more years means repeating this formula several more times. How will the Big3 and UAW compete when unwilling to adapt to the changing times. The market picture can change a lot in 10-15 years. I sincerely hope they can adapt with the best talents they have for a new Big 3 future america can be proud of. The reality is we need both EV and ICE vehicles.
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
They can't get past the picket lines.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jul 2013
Posts: 2,300
Likes: 4
From: RightHere
Secret meeting between Mary Barra and the UAW leadership to end the stalemate, according to the NY Post.
Source
General Motors chief executive Mary Barra this week secretly met with brass from the United Auto Workers for the first time since the union called a strike last month that has idled more than 46,000 employees, The Post has learned.
In an unusual move that union officials took as a positive step, Barra on Wednesday asked UAW president Gary Jones and Terry Dittes, the union’s vice president who’s leading the main talks, to come to a conference room near her office around 3:30 p.m., two people familiar with the meeting told The Post.
Soon after, Jones and Dittes were escorted by armed guards to Barra’s office in the Detroit Renaissance office complex, where GM is headquartered, for a meeting that lasted about half an hour, the source said.
As reported by The Post, GM officials on Tuesday had abruptly pulled out of a meeting for major negotiations in which officials were slated to discuss job security and bringing jobs back to the US from Mexico.
No such meeting occurred on Wednesday either, and Barra that afternoon appeared concerned that talks were off track, according to a source.
UAW officials had been angling for a direct meeting with Barra as a way to break through on negotiations, which have remained stalled for about five days.
As reported by The Post, UAW brass last week were even discussing holding a “no confidence” vote against Barra as a way to draw her into discussions. Sources said union leadership believes it was Barra who personally decided to reverse a decision to yank health care coverage for striking workers.
During Wednesday’s surprise meeting, it’s unclear whether Barra offered or demanded any concessions, or what specific issues were discussed. Nevertheless, the meeting appears to have injected new life into the negotiations, which entered their 25th day on Thursday, sources said.
In an unusual move that union officials took as a positive step, Barra on Wednesday asked UAW president Gary Jones and Terry Dittes, the union’s vice president who’s leading the main talks, to come to a conference room near her office around 3:30 p.m., two people familiar with the meeting told The Post.
Soon after, Jones and Dittes were escorted by armed guards to Barra’s office in the Detroit Renaissance office complex, where GM is headquartered, for a meeting that lasted about half an hour, the source said.
As reported by The Post, GM officials on Tuesday had abruptly pulled out of a meeting for major negotiations in which officials were slated to discuss job security and bringing jobs back to the US from Mexico.
No such meeting occurred on Wednesday either, and Barra that afternoon appeared concerned that talks were off track, according to a source.
UAW officials had been angling for a direct meeting with Barra as a way to break through on negotiations, which have remained stalled for about five days.
As reported by The Post, UAW brass last week were even discussing holding a “no confidence” vote against Barra as a way to draw her into discussions. Sources said union leadership believes it was Barra who personally decided to reverse a decision to yank health care coverage for striking workers.
During Wednesday’s surprise meeting, it’s unclear whether Barra offered or demanded any concessions, or what specific issues were discussed. Nevertheless, the meeting appears to have injected new life into the negotiations, which entered their 25th day on Thursday, sources said.
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,472
Likes: 252
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
UAW brass last week were even discussing holding a “no confidence” vote against Barra