UAW members attend a rally in support of the labor union strike at the UAW Local 551 hall on the South Side on October 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois.ย
Jim Vondruska | Getty Images
DETROIT โ The United Auto Workers achieved record contracts with the Detroit automakers following contentious talks and roughly six weeks of targeted labor strikes. But not all of the union’s members are satisfied with the tentative agreements.
The deals, which were recommended for ratification by UAW leaders, were on pace to pass as of Tuesday morning, but support is narrowing. The agreements have received notable rejections at major Ford Motor and, especially, General Motors plants in recent days. Workers at Chrysler owner Stellantis are still in early voting but have so far largely backed the contract.
At least three major assembly plants representing 9,730, or 21%, of GM’s 46,000 UAW-represented employees have voted against the pact. They include 61% against at Lansing Delta Township plant in Michigan, which builds Buick and Chevrolet crossovers; 67.5% rejection at a Cadillac and GMC crossover plant in Spring Hill, Tennessee; and 52% opposed at GM’s Flint, Michigan, truck plant. A handful of other smaller plants also have voted against the deal.
At Ford, the automaker’s Kentucky Truck Plant โ its largest in terms of employment and revenue โ had 54.5% of members vote against it.
The UAW reached tentative deals with each of the automakers, so each is voted on separately. One or more could fail, while another ratifies. They are not contingent on one another.
Reasons behind the disapproval vary, according to industry experts and UAW members who spoke with CNBC. Veteran workers are worried about not receiving as much as newer employees under the terms of the deals, including retirement benefits. They’re also concerned about language in the tentative agreements. There’s also lingering distrust in union leadership after past corruption scandals of former leaders.
Others cite inflated…
Read the full article here
Leave a Reply