8yearswithoneraise

As I'm sure most if not all who read this will agree, we need raises, not these various bonus schemes that keep being brought to us. The last time we were givin a raise we were making about 8 times minimum wage. Some states now have in excess of $10 as minimum wage. Most employees are making at or less than 3 times minimum wage now... And that's not even bringing the tier 2 wage earners into the discussion. Why did international give away our cost of living? Why wasn't it put on hold and looked at again after a year? Two years? Why just give it away? Why aren't these issues being discussed in these forums in a contract year? How many billions in profit must these corporations make per year before they stop saying "We arent out of the woods yet"? Salery has had raises and bonuses/benefits reinstated. International has had pay increases, and raised our dues. Who represents us? I'm tired of turning on the news or picking up a paper and seeing the headlines about the autoworkers extravagant profit sharing bonus checks when the general public has no idea what we've been through. Where is the unions PR firm? It's pathetic, public perception of unions and the auto industry specifically is horrible when the majority of the country benefits from the progress made on health and safety, pay, holidays, healthcare and the list goes on and on. Enough is enough. We have given enough. Do something for the membership.

http://www.autonews.com/article/20110404/BLOG06/110409963/1503

http://www.rttnews.com/Content/EarningsNews.aspx?Id=1589860&SM=1 1)Alan Mulally's 2010 compensation rose 48% to $26.52 million from $17.92 million in the prior year. 2)William Clay Ford got $26.46 million, which includes $4.8 million in salary, $2.7 million in bonus and about $19 million in stock, option awards and other pay. 3)Chief Financial Officer Lewis Booth received $8.2 million in total compensation for 2010, more than double the $3.83 million he received a year earlier. 4)Mark Fields, the company's president of the Americas, got total compensation of $8.82 million, more than double the $3.98 million he received a year earlier. 5)John Fleming, Ford's head of manufacturing and labor affairs, had total compensation of $5.92 million, up from $3.85 million the previous year. I'm TIRED of the victim mentality that a huge number of membership has... You know the guys I'm talking about, "You're lucky to have a job" "Did you get a paycheck this week?" ETC.... International is talking about pay cuts for us in this contract? Are they on fucking drugs? I still don't understand how we let those fucks bargain for us when they have additional benefits and pensions... how can they honestly give a shit about what happens to us? Wage cut.. fuck 'em ... Cut in benefits... fuck 'em ... We have tried the "Performance bonus in lieu of raises" bullshit.. we all know how that turned out... The bonuses were the first to go! Nothing should be settled for other than guaranteed RAISES and REINSTATEMENT of all of our give backs! I'm not talking about a 48% fucking pay raise like our CEO received. Just a modest 3% in one or two years of the contract. There was a LETTER OF UNDERSTANDING that there would be an equity of loss between salary and hourly during the hard times that was completely ignored. These companies cry poverty and push piece of shit give back contracts at us every fucking time... what happened the last time, when we said NO... Nothing, the sky didn't fall.. the company didn't fold.. in fact the company prospered. WE HAVE GIVEN ENOUGH, IF WE DON'T REGAIN OUR BENEFITS AND RECIEVE RAISES, IT WILL BE ALMOST HALF OF OUR CAREERS (12 YEARS) WITH ONE FUCKING RAISE. are you kidding me? Change your mindset! Stand together and say its been enough!

Are you fucking kidding me?? lol You would have to be a complete fucking moron to vote yes on that.. Sell your soul for 30k after taxes.. Jesus Christ, no wonder every (almost) piece of shit contract they shove at us passes... Douchebags like you shouldn't be allowed to breed.

Jesus.. can u read man? I never said that...

We've gone though all your points throughout the thread. And everyone seems to agree. I wasn't implying raises and fuck everything else.

Well put.

To be fair, Ford hasn't paid a dividend to common stock since June 29, 2007. The stock has had a considerable increase in value in the past few years, and it's been said that's the reason they haven't paid a dividend. I agree though, IMO the well has ran dry on concessions.

I agree 100%. Thank you for an opinion that isn't off topic, it's nice to know I'm not the only one who can see past the bullshit bean counters fabricate.

The company set that expectation. There was a letter of agreement between the company and the union that stated, there would be an "Equity in loss" in regard to wages and benefits. The company has violated this letter of agreement numerious times. We are the first to lose, and last to regain. I'm not asking for a $10.00 raise. But I feel we have given enough.

You've changed my mind, I think I'll just waive my wages and buy a ticket to come into the plant everyday like it's a fucking amusement park.

They have zero legacy costs, Non-union shops are not our concern. Over the last 8 years that we've had one raise, has the cost of vehicles stayed the same? No. It's almost to the point where we can't afford a large section of the vehicles we make. Go price a loaded F-350, I know I can't afford one. The fucking company is going to cry poor every chance they get. We have a fraction of the number of workers we had 20 years ago. Do you think the salary people give a fuck what the salary folks are making at the goddamn "transplants" when they cashed those bonus check they got the last 6 of 8 years... Highly unlikely. I imagine they haven't felt bad about the bump in their base wages either, or continued overtime. So don't give me that fucking bullshit about wages in the non-union shops.

I agree completely that all concessions need a hard look. I'm just concerned with stagnet wages, hyperinflation, and the inability of a large portion of our workers to augment their paychecks with overtime. In many facilities overtime is simply nonexistent.. Period. This has been the case at more than one plant. So yes, I see the big picture, new hires of course, the trades and talks of multicrafting. The increases in co-pays, reductions in benifits etc. I'm interested in our wages in this thread though. Am I the only one who feels we've given enough, and it's time we let international know we need raises. Let's not forget also that the folks at international, who represent us, have additional benefits over and above what we have.

We need to start a discussion on the sacrifices we've made over the last 8 years, and the lack of parity with salary workers. I've heard way too many times "Did you get a paycheck last week? Be happy." Or, "Some people don't even have jobs". Salary workers have not had the same attrition rates as hourly, nor have they been forced to hire future workers at a cut rate. AND nearly the entire time they have received raises and or bonuses! Pattern bargaining is DEAD, we will never have parity with GM or Chrysler due to the bankruptcies and wiping of all debit. It wasn't the case that Ford was morally superior to these other companies. The Ford family didn't want to lose the company, which is fine, and understandable. My contention is, don't cry to us because we aren't on par with GM or Chrysler. There's a buzz that inflation may run rampant in the near future. Think before we take what is shoved at us... remember the last round of concessions? we stood together and voted it down, the sky did not fall.. no plants were closed, shortly after they announced millions to retool various plants. The company will come at you time and time again until we stand together. Has salary gone 30% (aprox.) of their careers without a raise? Fuck no! but we have.. Another 4 year contract without raises will be nearly 45% of our working lives without a raise... http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-02-10/gm-chrysler-salaried-workers-bonuses-said-to-reach-as-much-as-50-of-pay.html

Before you guys get too excited... give it awhile and take a look at the new local agreements. You can bet there will be new rules to fire as many as possible, and replace with the limitless number of two tier workers they are drooling over. Dont worry though... you'll still have a plant to drive by.. and show the grandkids the next step up in the job market from flipping burgers.