Our agenda for justice
The 2007 bargaining resolution sets our union’s agenda for workplace democracy and economic justice. It draws on the UAW’s proud history of facing up to challenges of the day and responding with creativity, vision and solidarity.
As the resolution states: “Our approach to bargaining follows the high road. We believe competition can and should combine high wages, comprehensive benefits, and safe and healthy working conditions, with high levels of productivity, quality and responsiveness to customers.”
At the Special Convention on Collective Bargaining, delegates debated various sections of the resolution, including:
• Protecting Workers in Employer Restructurings, dealing with bargaining in bankruptcy, workplace closings, relocations and restructurings; and temporary, contingent, supplemental and contract workers.
• Bargaining to Organize, dealing with card check and neutrality, and protecting and expanding the right to organize.
• Securing Good Jobs for the Future, dealing with investment commitments, new products, services and jobs; skilled trades in the 21st century, outsourcing and privatization; and other job and income security issues.
• Improving Workers’ Standard of Living, dealing with wages and salaries; profit sharing and gain sharing; work time and flex-time scheduling; and Supplemental Unemployment Benefits.
• Providing Health and Retirement Security, dealing with health care, pensions, savings plans, other retiree issues and group insurance.
• Making Workplaces Safer, dealing with preventing workplace illness and injury; protecting the rights of injured workers; and preventing and responding to workplace violence.
• Creating Opportunities for Lifelong Learning, dealing with training and employee development; and apprenticeship and continuing education in the trades.
• Pursuing Innovative Benefits, dealing with work and family benefits; long-term care; group legal services; employee discounts; benefits for servicemen and servicewomen; employee assistance programs; and retirement options.
• Ensuring Justice in the Workplace and Beyond, dealing with nondiscrimination and equal opportunity; sexual harassment; democracy, equality and employee involvement; privacy in the workplace; discipline, grievance procedure and union representation; workers with disabilities; and V-CAP and political action.
• Making Employers Socially Responsible, dealing with environmental responsibility; product and service quality; international conduct; and community involvement.
FROM THE FLOOR
Kimberly Fuga
UAW Local 1777
Shelby Township, Mich.
Who they are: 123 municipal workers at various township departments, including water, parks and recreation, and building.
What's new: "We just settled our contract a few weeks ago. We have the same issues that everybody else has – wages, health care, outsourcing. This is the first year we’re going to be paying for part of our health care. They tried to outsource some of the park maintenance, and they found that it was more expensive to bring in another company than it cost to keep our workers doing it, so that was a great thing for us.”
Wilfred Littleton
UAW Local 600 shop chair
Dearborn, Mich.
Who they are: Ford Motor Co.’s Dearborn Engine and Fuel Tank plant has about 750 members.
What’s new: “Local 600 President Jerry Sullivan makes sure we continue to be involved with the community and that we support labor-friendly politicians who are concerned about our issues.”
His issues: “I was excited and energized at this convention and support our union’s efforts to tackle health care and job security. I’m confident these issues will be successfully resolved in this year’s bargaining.”
