GM took the workers’ money and don’t want to give it back. They want to make the concessions permanent.

[HAD ENOUGH?]

OUR UNION SAY'S THESE SHOULD BE OUR CONCERNS

 

The tentative GM contract means this: GM will give the workers a signing bonus of $5,000 (before taxes), plus three $1,000 bonuses (before taxes) and GM will get to keep all of the concessions that they have taken from the workers.

 

NO raises, NO COLA, NO performance bonuses, NO Christmas bonuses, NO Easter Monday holiday, NO overtime after 8 hours, NO return of lost break time. NO end to skilled trades consolidation. Everything the workers wanted back, GM said “NO, NO, NO.”

 

First tier autoworkers lost up to $30,000 in concessions over the last several years. Now GM wants to continue these concessions for another 4 years. At what cost to us? Lose another $30,000? All for $8,000 in bonuses?

 

The biggest concession is that 2-tier will continue.

This contract does not bring up the 2nd-tier workers up to first tier. This contract keeps them permanent 2nd-tier, with no path to move up to first tier. The pay increase, $3.50/hour, spread over 4 years, does not even make up for money that GM 2nd-tier workers lost in the 2009 concessions when their wages were frozen and they lost bonuses. There is also no cap on the number of 2nd-tier workers. The percentage of 2nd-tier workers will increase, which means the threat of everyone being eventually reduced to 2nd-tier will increase.

 

The profit-sharing formula is supposed to be improved, by including North American operations instead of just the U.S. But what is to keep GM from now shifting profits to overseas operations or their financial arm? Do you trust GM? There is also a cap on profit-sharing when there didn't used to be one. How is that an improvement? And there is no guarantee of ANY profit-sharing.

 

Worst of all, they want to put active workers against retirees by taking away 10% of profit-sharing and diverting it to the VEBA. Of course, we want to help retirees. The VEBA is underfunded because GM didn’t adequately fund it in 2007 and then further reduced it in 2009. The company has all the money, the company should fund it.

 

New retirees will take another hit because for the first contract ever, there is no increase in the 30-and-out pension. Current retirees get no increase while prices keep going up.

 

There are promises of 6,400 new jobs. Most of these jobs will be for 2nd-tier wages, IF the promises of jobs are even kept. In the 2007 contract and 2009 modifications, we were promised that concessions would save and create more jobs. But in 2007, GM had 73,500 workers. Today GM has 48,000 workers. What happened to those promises for new jobs?

 

When these concessions were taken away from us, they wanted us to believe that when the companies were reporting a profit again, we would get back what we gave up. It was all a lie.

 

They want us to accept that these concessions will be permanent. But we don’t have to willingly accept that our families’ standard of living will be permanently reduced, while our bosses are the only ones who prosper from our hard work.

 

PASS THIS ON

[Janeaubrey19]

If you actually thought we would get the concessions back then you need to take a buyout! Not sure where you are from but here in America once you give something up,you don't get it back!

That's kinda true but if you ask a company as a whole to give things up and u only give 1/2 of them the things they gave up back what kind of message is that sending??

[Armstrong]

They want us to accept that these concessions will be permanent. But we don’t have to willingly accept that our families’ standard of living will be permanently reduced, while our bosses are the only ones who prosper from our hard work.

 

 

 

Hi Chuckie

 

Your arguments are old and stale. Although it would be nice to "get everything back" the IUAW has been educating us on the fixed costs and the fixed costs that are too high puts our job security at risk. I would rather have a good paying job, good benefits and a good retirement than get "cola" and put everything at risk.

 

The GM Bargainers did a good job and made several gains in improved healthcare, pension higher wages with signing bonus, improved profit sharing and quality bonus as well as $3 per hour raise for entry level at almost $20 per hour.

 

The biggest gain for GM workers was the huge product commitments at several locations.

 

If we get the same commitments all skilled will be offered to return to skilled and many more opportunities for production.

 

The IUAW hit a grand slam with this agreement

[Chucky Ray]

Thanks friend.

 

Edited September 21, 2011 by Chucky Ray

[Armstrong]

Improved profit sharing for whom??? I will lose money under the new formula.

 

 

Well excuse me "Mr. Skilled Trades" that makes $5 per hour more that most of us and overtime beyond what most would dream of working.

 

Let me guess???

 

1) You are at a plant that benefited from the 2007 product investment

 

2) You are still getting tooling installed as we speak

 

3) Your location does not have anyone laid off

 

4) Over the next 5 years your plant has product life cycles for ultimate job security

 

Sound close???

 

Most of us still need product and job security

 

Most of us have been on 40 hours for years

 

Sorry if your luck has you in a good building, good paying job and job security bargained by the uaw while most of us suffer on 40 hours and dont know if our plant will have ILOs next year

 

Thanks for rubbing it in as we are below you!!!

 

If we get a contract that ensures new product at my location and greedy people like you turn it down because your profit sharing inst what you need/

 

GFY

 

Youu are no Brother