NeedTradesJobs

There's nothing in the contract that allows a temporary assigned Ford seniority employee to become permanent.

I see you took that class in unity and solidarity taught by the UAW.

I will if you look up the meaning of SENIORITY.

I just got a text from a friend of mine at VD Trans. He said all temporary MW's are being laid off next Friday despite the fact that the entire trade is on 7/12's. And right before the contract.

It's not that we haven't obtained the right to work production jobs that gets me upset. It's the system in place for posting jobs, the secrecy by union reps, and the lack of seniority rights. Would I like a raise? Sure. Am I complaining or pushing for one? No. I want a job! Period. I would like my seniority to mean something and to get a job in order of my seniority at whatever plant that puts me in. The system now allows tradesmen to go from working at one plant to working at another while brothers and sisters don't even get to bid on certain jobs. Then the jobs they left aren'

Will there be jobs added this contract? Yesterday Bob King said his #1 priority is to gain a higher wage for tier 2 workers. How about bargaining for the current employees (getting all back to work) before you bargain for future ones?

All you people on here talking about how we need product to secure jobs listen up. Product commitments are of vital importance to getting trades back to work but even that won't help unless the locals stop be so exclusionary! Local 600, local 400, local 2280, local 228, and others, you've gone against what a UNION is supposed to stand for. Solidarity means nothing to some of our leaders. Union doesn't mean just taking care of "my guys." It means doing what's right to ensure all are taken care of. You shouldn't be pushing for 7/12's for your own plant when there are people out of work! Workers shouldn't have to file NLRB complaints to receive their contractual rights! Workers should be treated as equals when they arrive in your plant, whether as temps or permanent! Past union leaders, real UNION MEN, would be disgusted at this current wave of individuals running things. Ofcourse their leadership is made possible by the protectionist individuals that elected them! Solidarity brothers!!

The lead engineer for the project as well as a member of upper management.

It wasn't the companies decision. The local wants the guys out of there!

Look out for your Van Dyke brothers? How about looking out for all of you union brothers? You INDIVIDUALS kill me!

So Van Dyke is going to lay off the "temp" tradesmen in 3 to 4 weeks. The project engineers have made it clear there is work to last thru the middle of next year. Instead of keeping brothers and sisters working, Van Dyke is going to kick the tradesmen out before the new contract, just in case, and ensure the "all the overtime you can work" people there will reelect the current office holders. That's solidarity for ya. Oh and don't bother trying to call the IUAW because 99% of time they don't answer the phone or return a call. The 1% they do they just tell you each local can do what they want. Thanks for taking my union dues and then kicking me in the balls!

I agree that we need new and increased product commitments but the bottom line is that tradesmen could be put in plants right now. As a union do we really think that workers should be laid off while others are working tons of OT? What a great example we're setting to try to convince other companies to organize. "Join with us and some of you will get 7/12's and some will get laid off. Oh and by the way, the layoffs won't be in order of seniority." Doesn't sound like a UNION to me. Tradesmen could be put in buildings today!

What's sad is that I hope I even get offered a production job! I'm getting put back on the street in 4 weeks while my fellow tradesmen (some with lower seniority) will work 6 to 7 days a week. I just want a job in my trade in order of my seniority! No more, no less!

Ok, I appreciate the temp jobs. That doesn't mean that it's ok to allow local chairmen to keep from adding trades in their buildings. I'm not sure who suggested the company was keeping us out but it wasn't me. It's our own union keeping us out of these plants because they don't want people coming in and having higher seniority than their current guys. There are tradesmen with well over 10 years in temp positions or laid off while guys with 5 or 6 years are working in permanent positions. When Wixom was closing (and other plants as well) tradesmen with seniority were not given opportunities to get out. Instead they sent low seniority guys to other plants in permanent positions. The high seniority guys that had to stay until the end got screwed and ended up in GEN and then on layoff. Then some went in to ants as "temps", got no OT, while those lower seniority guys from their old plant were there in perm positions and allowed all their contractual rights. I'm not saying the company loves us but our union has created most of this mess.

I have a buddy that's a "temp" millwright at Van Dyke and he's been there 1 1/2 years. He wasn't allowed to work OT for the first year. Now, after they filed an NLRB complaint, they have been able to work OT. They are being told that the "temps" are getting layer off next month right before the contract even though there's lots of work still to be done. He was told, "our guys will finish it up on overtime." Nice! Put guys on the streets to create more OT for the guys there. I agree with the person who said the IUAW needs to grow a set and demand our tradesmen back to work. I wouldn't negotiate at all until they are back to work. The protectionism in the individual locals is sickening. Solidarity is a thing of the past. I call for all displaced tradesmen to meet me out front of Solidarity House the day after the contract is ratified if we don't have jobs. We might as well spend our time off picketing those guys!