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Automotive News & Views United Automobile Workers of America (UAW)
16701 messages, Last post on Nov 20, 2009 at 3:39 AM
You are in the Automotive News & Views Forum. Your Hosts are steve_ & claires
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My years as an elected official of the UAW were misguided in that management went beyond what a reasonable person could expect. With good intension's I expected to have an adversarial relationship with the perceived wicked management. However, even if they said NO, they really meant that I needed to make a rational and sane case for my request. In doing so they showed concern and addressed issues in a timely manner. Many times dealing with issues that went beyond the workplace. So I don't understand the evil management myth. Its either the history of decades ago or just a lack of communication. If anything I see a need to address performance issues within the union membership. They understood that folks just have issues from home which sometime in their work history make them less than the best employee possible. They went above and beyond to be fair and offer many programs to deal with these issues. Divorce isn't the companies concern, but can effect the performance of an employee. Health issues, attendance, disrespect for others, doing the right thing, and all types of unacceptable behavior are taken into consideration and just discipline issued. They are running a business and have to expect that their employees add value to the business. I learned from them and respect their fairness. My professionalism and skills with people are much better since. Add to that the negotiating abilities and all was not a waste of time. However, it wasn't my forte. Never did they belittle me on any shortcomings. I have full confidence in management/labor relations and feel they are doing a fine job considering all they have to deal with. As a whole we all make our contribution to make the company one of the best places to work. |
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"If there is hope long term -- for the unionized Big Three companies and for the UAW -- it rests in dealing with the unfinished business of the 1980s: unionizing the unorganized transplants." T I don't see this happening. The transplants have worked very hard at making work and pay conditions desirable enough to keep the unions out. Pay is very close to UAW levels..... the differences are in the work rules, the ability to dump dead wood and problems, and the attitudes of the workers. While I can't speak from experience with the auto industry, I did see how Canon Copier handled their U.S. workforce - They hired temps from a temp service. They had to wear Temp Company Tshirts to make them immediately identifiable. After 3 years the Temps were considered eligible for direct employment with Canon. Pay and benefits were very good for direct employees. Temps didn't make much. However to get hired took several interviews and a consesus vote from workers and management. While there was no union direct hire employees had a lot of input into how things were done, and how workers were treated. This meant a very select workforce and a group culture, even among Americans. People who didn't fit didn't get in. I thought it was a very good system, frankly. I don't see it being easily attacked by the classic UAW approach of "You're unhappy and we will force Management to listen to you". The workers weren't unhappy, and management was already listening to them. The unhappy workers never made it past the Temp Employment process. |
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Replying to: dallasdude1 (Dec 05, 2008 7:48 pm) 
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Replying to: steve_ (Dec 06, 2008 11:18 am) |
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Replying to: steve_ (Dec 06, 2008 11:18 am) The more thuggish the UAW becomes, the less sympathy they will get from the average citizen and congress, and the more they will lose. Big 3 management may have been stupid enough to be held hostage by the UAW but the rest of the US is not. |
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Replying to: tlong (Dec 06, 2008 12:30 pm) But, it will never happen. To many people watch out only for themselves.
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Replying to: tlong (Dec 06, 2008 12:30 pm) That could depend on how many average citizens are also out of work.
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Replying to: lokki (Dec 06, 2008 12:01 pm) I doubt that the few from Toyota Georgetown have the retirement that UAW has garnered for their US members through the last decades. |
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Replying to: steve_ (Dec 06, 2008 12:39 pm) My Ford Mechanic friend that is laid off blames the UAW for the woes in the auto industry. I don't think the 10 million workers unemployed right now will have any sympathy for the overpaid UAW members. Especially the ones that do not have to go and beat the pavement each week to get their unemployment check. At one time the UAW was a symbol for what is good with Unions. That probably ended 30 years ago. No rubber room cartoons for the 1000s that have already gotten laid off at dealerships around the country. Only the elitist UAW workers get special treatment. No the average out of work person is not feeling bad for the UAW.
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Replying to: 62vetteefp (Dec 06, 2008 12:38 pm) We have the AFL-CIO that does just that. However many of the majors have opted out. Two of the largest dropped out, the NEA and Teamsters. As our country goes more toward the environmental and information technology base, people do not like being associated with Union Thug mentality. I know in 1970 when we voted to go Teamster instead of IBEW I was not happy and lead several big protests to no avail. The telephone operators outnumbered the technicians 10 to 1 and they voted us all into the Teamsters. I would not speak to the IBEW President for several years as I felt he dropped the ball and fed us to the wolves. I got over it and got elected to the Teamster board of trustees. You can't beat em join em. Most people I know here in CA are anti Union. Most do not have a clue how tough it will be retiring on SS without a decent pension. |
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