AUTO TALKS 2007
UAW members confront a changing industry
UAW members will kick off talks for new contracts at Chrysler, Ford Motor Co. and General Motors in July, in the face of a rapidly-changing landscape in the automotive industry.
Bargaining will open at Ford and Chrysler on July 20 and at GM on July 23.
“We will enter auto negotiations, and all negotiations, united and determined to win the best contract possible for our membership,” UAW President Ron Gettelfinger told delegates to the UAW Special Convention on Collective Bargaining in Detroit in March.
“The problems we encounter are big, but the commitment and determination of our membership and leadership is bigger.”
Since 2003 all three companies have been hit with severe declines in sales and market share, causing a dramatic impact on automakers, parts suppliers, and UAW members and their families.
Here’s what has happened in the past two years alone:
• Visteon has transferred most of its UAW-represented U.S. auto parts to Automotive Components Holdings, a new entity owned by Ford, for possible sale or closure.
• Delphi declared bankruptcy.
• The UAW negotiated changes to health care plans for active and retired members at Ford and GM.
• Chrysler, Ford and GM have announced dozens of plant closings and the reduction in tens of thousands of automotive jobs.
• DaimlerChrysler decided to sell its Chrysler Group to Cerberus, a private equity firm, for $7.4 billion. (See story, Page 4.)
In each of these difficult circumstances, UAW members have made a dramatic difference, fighting to protect jobs, income, health benefits and pensions.
Restructuring at Chrysler, Ford and GM, for example, will take place through voluntary special attrition programs.
By confronting critical issues in our industry, UAW members have helped secure a better future for active and retired workers and our communities – and saved our employers billions of dollars.
During upcoming auto talks, UAW negotiating teams will continue to advocate for safety on the job, decent wages and benefits, job security and a strong role for rank-and-file workers in product quality issues.
The union will also continue joint efforts to enhance productivity in a fashion that protects jobs and maintains safe levels of staffing and appropriate workloads.
