UAW WORKERS on Strike.......
 

Looks like the UAW workers have launched a NATIONAL strike today.

I wish them the best of luck and also wonder if we as pilots will ever get it together to do the same thing?

I guarentee that if the auto workers withstood half of the concessions we have taken we would all be peddling around on bicycles right now......

Anyone else agree?


UAW Calls National Strike Against GM

AP
Posted: 2007-09-24 12:53:02
DETROIT (AP) - Thousands of United Auto Workers walked off the job at GM plants around the country Monday in the first nationwide strike during auto contract negotiations since 1976.

UAW President Ron Gettelfinger said that job security was the top unresolved issue, adding that the talks did not stumble over a groundbreaking provision establishing a UAW-managed trust that will administer GM's retiree health care obligations. Gettelfinger complained about "one-sided negotiations."

"It was going to be General Motors' way at the expense of the workers," Gettelfinger said at a news conference. "The company walked right up to the deadline like they really didn't care."

Gettelfinger added that the union and GM's management would return to the table Monday.

Workers walked off the job and began picketing Monday outside GM plants after the late morning UAW strike deadline passed. The UAW has 73,000 members who work for GM at 82 U.S. facilities, including assembly and parts plants and warehouses.

GM had been pushing hard in the negotiations for the health care trust - known as a Voluntary Employees Beneficiary Association, or VEBA - so it could move $51 billion in unfunded retiree health costs off its books. GM has nearly 339,000 retirees and surviving spouses.

"This strike is not about the VEBA in any way shape or form," Gettelfinger said at an afternoon news conference in Detroit.

"The No. 1 issue here is job security," Gettelfinger later said, adding that the union also was fighting to preserve workers' benefits.

Until they have a contract, these cars are on my "Do not buy" list:

http://www.uaw.org/uawmade/auto/2007/index.cfm

Best of luck to them. Hopefully this signals the beginning of the end for greedy executives.

Pilotpip,
I'm not trying to start a war because I understand this is most definately a sensative topic for the aviation community but since your statement has little to do with flying I feel compelled to respond. I'm not an aviator...yet, but I'm a relatively astute observer of business and politics. Your statement "greedy executives" struck me as odd. I've never met or even heard of an executive, business or corporation that’s in business for the purpose of employing people. Usually it's to make money, as much as they can with the help they can get. Not sure if it can be considered greedy. Business has their priority and we the workers have ours, usually they conflict. Just a thought.

BTY....I'm completely behind the Strike. I hope it works out for the union members.

CPO,

While you're right and I totally understand that, I'm sick of guys like Carty and his buddies giving themselves millions in bonuses while taking away pay and bennefits from their workers. It's become very common in the last decade. Businesses can make money and take care of their employees at the same time. One only need look at many of the top companies in their respective industry. Happy workers are more productive.

I completely agree with you, businesses are capable of both making money and taking care of their employees. I read a thread on the "Majors" forum related to a recent job fair and noted there are a lot of pilots interested in working for DAL, CAL, etc... while UAL, among others, were not visited by the Job Fair attendees near as much. I suppose when the companies that don't justly take care of their employees realize an employee shortage or when employees strike companies they MAY open their eyes. One can only hope ;) I just have to say that it's the nature of business. Corporations try to earn as much as possible off of the employees backs while trying to make them WANT to continue their labor for as little compensation as possible.