Gearing up for Magna
Contract paves way for sale of former DaimlerChrysler plant
The uncertainty that hung over the New Venture Gear plant in Syracuse, N.Y., left many UAW-represented workers anxious.
If DaimlerChrysler Corp. could not sell the plant, it planned to close it, leaving the livelihoods of more than 3,000 UAW members in doubt. That’s when the UAW’s DaimlerChrysler and Competitive Shops/Independents, Parts and Suppliers Departments, UAW Region 9, and the negotiating committees for Locals 624 and 2149 at New Venture Gear joined forces to keep jobs in central New York.
Now there’s no doubt that the plant has a future, thanks to a three-year contract ratified with Magna International in September.
“This contract took a total team effort for more than a year because the plant was moving from being a Big Three facility to a Tier I parts supplier,” said UAW Vice President Bob King, who directs the Competitive Shops/IPS Department. “The issues were complex, but the credit goes to the workers who negotiated the contract and the solidarity of the membership in the plant.”
The contract, which was ratified by a 95 percent majority, provides a great deal of job security for 2,800 members of Local 624, which represents the production and skilled-trades workers, and 250 members of Local 2149, which represents the engineers, office and clerical workers.
“We’re really pleased by the overwhelming support of the membership,” said Region 9 Director Geri Ochocinska. “It really demonstrates the support for the hard work the bargaining committees did over such a long period of time.”
Local 624 President Scott Stanton said one of the toughest obstacles was getting DaimlerChrysler and Magna to make commitments for additional investments in the plant. There is a $250 million commitment from DCX for new work and $75 million for immediate plant improvements by Magna.
The Canadian company also will locate new facilities in central New York if work for those facilities is currently done at the existing plant.
“At one point, we walked out of negotiations to show Magna and DaimlerChrysler that we were serious about getting them to commit to our workers,” Stanton said. “The result is a good contract for our members, for Magna and the Syracuse community, which has lost thousands of good jobs in recent years.”
Current workers will keep DaimlerChrysler wage and benefit levels through the term of the 2007 UAW-DaimlerChrysler National Agreement. They also retain the right to move to open jobs at other DaimlerChrysler plants.
Joe Lamanna, president of Local 2149, said Magna told the engineers, clerical and office workers they didn’t need a union because none of the workers in their other manufacturing plants belong to unions.
“We demanded and won a certain measure of dignity and respect for our members,” Lamanna said.
“The company didn’t think we should be union, but we know better.”
UAW workers at Magna were successful at securing commitments from Magna and
DaimlerChrysler for additional work and investment in the plant. 
