Ford reaches tentative UAW contract.

danrclem wrote:
Not all UAW workers get the big pay and benefits. I retired about 2 1/2 years ago from a supplier and we were UAW. I would bet money that when wages and benefits were totaled up that we didn't make half of what the big 3 do and that would be before their last contract. The UAW puts the big 3 in the spotlight to make them look good and they don't care what most of the suppliers make. They just wanted our money and we got very little in return.

The last contract negotiations that I went through were a joke. They would shift things around a little and offer us the same contract over and over. That happened several times and then the last one that passed the local president wrote a threatening letter about what would happen if we didn't take this offer. The company hired quite a few people right before the last vote and offered a sign on bonus and it passed. The new workers weren't officially in the union but they were allowed to vote.

The local said that they had to make us vote on every proposal which is a lie. UAW international didn't back us at all and even though most of us wanted to strike (up to the president's threatening letter) we weren't allowed to. The local and UAW international is in the pocket of the company that I worked for.

Screw the UAW and the horse that they rode in on!

I used to work for a large and diverse company with quite a few plants in the U.S., some of which were unionized. They took pride in the fact that their union contracts were worth less than the pay packages for the non-union plants. I believe that it was illegal for them to come out and say it but if the workforce voted in a union they not only got to pay union dues but had to do it with less income. The companies are required to negotiate in good faith but when negotiations start the current pay package goes out the window and the union has to fight for every penny and the starting point is zero dollars. But, when you listened to organizers you got the impression that they always got the hourly people at least a 50% raise.

ShinerBock wrote:
I have spoken with many people about this. Almost every one of them said that they think the UAW is getting too greedy especially asking for benefits that most others do not get or have to pay for themselves. Most also felt that this greed was a large reason why we (the taxpayers) had to bail out these companies not to long ago. All of this on top of the current corruption scandals in the UAW's top executives are not helping their cause. They may have won this battle, but it appears they are loosing the war in the eyes of most people in my region because most are starting to view them unfavorably where they didn't just a few years ago.

Ford did not take the bail out. They had already done what they had to do to avoid it. GM who went bankrupt after wards, and Chrysler who was sold to Fiat, took the bailout.

I will never forget what the Ford CEO told the Congressional committee when they ask if he would work for a dollar ay year if they gave them the money. He said "No, I'm good". GM, and Chrysler CEOs on the other hand said, YES PLEASE.

Once again the UAW forces the big two plus FCA into being the high cost producers of commodity products. This will turn out badly for the workers in the long run.

Not all UAW workers get the big pay and benefits. I retired about 2 1/2 years ago from a supplier and we were UAW. I would bet money that when wages and benefits were totaled up that we didn't make half of what the big 3 do and that would be before their last contract. The UAW puts the big 3 in the spotlight to make them look good and they don't care what most of the suppliers make. They just wanted our money and we got very little in return.

The last contract negotiations that I went through were a joke. They would shift things around a little and offer us the same contract over and over. That happened several times and then the last one that passed the local president wrote a threatening letter about what would happen if we didn't take this offer. The company hired quite a few people right before the last vote and offered a sign on bonus and it passed. The new workers weren't officially in the union but they were allowed to vote.

The local said that they had to make us vote on every proposal which is a lie. UAW international didn't back us at all and even though most of us wanted to strike (up to the president's threatening letter) we weren't allowed to. The local and UAW international is in the pocket of the company that I worked for.

Screw the UAW and the horse that they rode in on!

GM paved the way for this agreement and FCA will be forced to follow suit as well or the union will go on strike.

And you can put me in the category that knows unions need to go away. All unions!

SidecarFlip wrote:



Toyota needs to build a 'big truck' now. They could literally 'mop the floor' with a 3/4 or 1 ton entry.

Toyota 'toyed' with the idea 8 or so years ago, to the point of building a concept HD pickup powered by a Hino diesel engine, but didn't go through with it. Don't know why, perhaps because they have a very small part of the half ton market?

colliehauler wrote:

Groover wrote:
One interesting detail of the contract:
"Ford will invest $1 billion in the Kentucky Truck Plant in the next four years and release "all new" Super Duty pickup truck, Navigator and Expedition models."

I thought that the current Super Duty was fairly new.

I could be wrong but I thought the current generation was released in 2016.

In Super Duty years that's pretty darned recent.

Groover wrote:
One interesting detail of the contract:
"Ford will invest $1 billion in the Kentucky Truck Plant in the next four years and release "all new" Super Duty pickup truck, Navigator and Expedition models."

I thought that the current Super Duty was fairly new.

I could be wrong but I thought the current generation was released in 2016.

Edit; I believe it was 2015. When I purchased a replacement bed for the truck a 99 through 2014 were interchangeable. I have a 2014 bed on a 2006 truck.

Living up here in Michigan and retiring a union member, I can say that the UAW and the Teamsters are the most corrupt unions in existence. neither car squat about the rank and file. All they care about is playing the role of fat cats and bilking the members.

FCA is the one to watch. I believe the Pugeot FCA deal is more about beating the UAW than a merger. FCA is in no financial condition to match the Fords / GM contract. Will be interesting in the least.

Someone eats the contract increase costs... You and I and the price difference between the not so big 3 and the onshore foreign automakers will also widen.

Toyota needs to build a 'big truck' now. They could literally 'mop the floor' with a 3/4 or 1 ton entry.

What is really interesting is that Michigan is now a RTW state so there are no 'closed shops' anymore. It's strictly voluntary to join a union in Michigan, been that way since last year.

O know of I was working in a UAW auto plant, I'd sure as heck part company with the UAW and pocket my union dues.

One interesting detail of the contract:
"Ford will invest $1 billion in the Kentucky Truck Plant in the next four years and release "all new" Super Duty pickup truck, Navigator and Expedition models."

I thought that the current Super Duty was fairly new.