UAW Wants Bigger Cut of Detroit’s Newfound Profits
- Posted on July 25, 2011 at 12:58pm by
Scott Baker
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DETROIT (AP) — The United Auto Workers union wants a bigger share of Detroit’s newfound profits while the car companies hope to cut labor costs in contract talks that begin Monday.
Workers agreed to give up pay raises and benefits to keep the companies in business as they headed for financial trouble starting four years ago.
Now that General Motors, Chrysler and Ford are making money again, workers want compensation for their sacrifice. But the companies want labor costs that are competitive with Toyota, Honda and Hyundai.
Both sides say they’re willing to talk about profit sharing instead of raises.
The negotiations start Monday at Chrysler. They are the first since Chrysler and GM took government aid and emerged from bankruptcy in 2009.
The UAW’s contracts with Detroit automakers expire on Sept. 14.
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Comments (58)
tigerndawoodz
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 8:07pmthis is wayyyyyyyyyy past hilarious, slimebama gave GM and Chrysler to the unions. kinda like spook v spook lmfao
Report Post »smithclar3nc3
Posted on July 26, 2011 at 11:07amThe auto companies should give every U.A. workers a bigger cut of the profit in the form of a pink slip. And move the companies out of detroit to right to work states ,making all future employees sign a guarantee not to unionize or they will be fired immediately.
Report Post »Everyone keeps talking about advancing technology and building greener and move fuel efficent automobiles that take capital the capital that comes form profits of current auto sales.
Only an idiot would stay in detroit when other states could give them the same labor at better rates and with less state taxes and permits. WAKE UP LET THE COMMUNIST UNION GO THE WAY OF DINOSUARS.
tigerndawoodz
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 8:04pmthis is way past frickin hilarious. the union OWNS GM AND Chrysler. lmfao
Report Post »FANGS
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:40pmGo non union. What exactally do they do for the Country or Business owner. Nothing. Get rid of all union crime.
Report Post »JUSTANOTHEROPINION
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:37pmHere we go again with the union crap. Greedy, greedy, greedy! They still have a job but that isn’t good enough for them. Ungrateful Cretans! I have zero sympathy for these people. Part of why I can‘t afford the high price of a new car is because with the benefits these unions demand they are way over paid and we pay for it because the companies can’t absorb that kind of over head so they pass that cost on to us, the customer.
Report Post »P.S.
If you don’t like what I posted here call
1 800 USHUTUP
FANGS
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:37pmCant figure out who’s buying their cars. Nobody I know will ever again buy their cars after they screwed their Bondholders and the Country. Wont look at obama, wont look at Gm or crysler.
Report Post »psst
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:25pmChrystler workers told the company they are not looking for more loot, retirement benefits or improved health care benefits.
Report Post »All they want are better quality Ganja and imported beer,Old English is not up to their improved European standard as foreing workers for Fiat, and yes, an extra 1hr added on to lunch break so they can enjoy their improved quality of good ganja smokes and kick back w/ am excellent German brewski. And hey man , what about a 3 hr siesta after lunch so we’ll get in the mood for the drive home.
pinnybogg
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:24pmthose profits will allow them to build more factories, but does the union heads care??? Hell no!!!! We want wat you get and we want it now!!!!!
Report Post »Delta101
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:24pmI bet the “union supporter-in chief” will way in more about this than the debt ceiling.
Report Post »Ready2Rumble
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:04pmDoesn’t the UAW own GM & Chrysler?
Report Post »80mesh
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 7:00pm“The UAW’s contracts with Detroit automakers expire on Sept. 14.”
done deal then …. that will be their decertification day
Report Post »billwill
Posted on July 27, 2011 at 3:45pmI agree! I am from Detroit and Used to be UAW and Teamsters. Both unions are crooked.
Report Post »bobcattf5
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:55pmTell the unions and Obamas buddies: good sex yourselfs
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:52pmTell them: were moving to mexico.
Oh yeah, GM already did….
Report Post »BigMick51
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:40pmLet the contract expire, hire workers that want to work and won’t hold the company hostage. Just say no to union thuggery.
Report Post »Bluefish49
Posted on July 27, 2011 at 10:32amI agree with you BIGMICK51…..it’s time to disolve all unions and start fresh. Boeing is finding out the hard way that no mater how much you give them it’s never going to be enough. A storm is coming and it‘s will be cause by Obama’s civilian army….there will heavy losses on both sides. Lock and load.
Report Post »patriotic grandmom
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:24pmProfit sharing is a much better idea. Then the workers have a vested interest in the company MAKING PROFIT. Non-union employees tend to have a company’s interest at heart, knowing if the company doesn’t do well, they will have NO JOB. Unions changed the whole idea. Most union employees have no pride in their work and have no vested interest in the company doing well. Profit sharing instead of pay raises changes the thought process!
Report Post »DisillusionedDaily
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 5:05pmGM and Chrysler are making a profit? Did they pay back all of the money they BORROWED from the Fed to repay their bailout packages? I know that Obama wants to be able to brag about how his bailout turned these companies around and restored them to profitability when he is out campaigning for re-election, but I fear the UAW will screw that up for him. I have been friends with members of the UAW, Steel Workers of America, UMW, CWA and the IBEW and the one thing these people had in common was their absolute belief that it should be illegal for any company to make a profit. They all felt that all company earnings above cost should be divided up among the workers. With that in mind, I feel that union demands will once again place not only auto makers, but other companies that utilize union personnel, in jeapordy and that some of this news will interfere with Obama’s glowing campaign rhetoric. If the union has its way, GM and Chrysler will both soon be in just as much financial difficulty as they were prior to the bail out.
Report Post »JRook
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:47pmFor the few here who can get past their ideological objection to unions. The approach is infinitely reasonable, fair and capitalistic. Tying their upside to profits means they agree to benefit or suffer at an amount equal to the company and the investors.
Report Post »Captain Whamo
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 8:06pmYup, I don’t see anything wrong with profit sharing. At least with profit sharing the unions have a stake in the performance of the company.
Report Post »TXBadOneToo
Posted on July 26, 2011 at 12:44amHalf of your comment makes sense as I do agree with profit sharing as a significant percentage of income for employees of a company. But the ‘investors’ and tax payers are the ones who got screwed when the Govt bailed out GM and Chrysler. Bond holders got pennies on the $, stock holders lost most of their investment and non UAW employees (white collar) GM workers lost most of their retirement benefits while the UAW workers kept most of theirs. I don’t feel sorry for the Unions and they owe the company and American tax payers a big thans for saving their jobs. They should be noble for awhile and appreciate a pay check and retirement benefits
Report Post »rflussier
Posted on July 26, 2011 at 1:54pmWhy is it ok to share in profits, but not risks? Why should they be entitled to profits of the company while the American taxpayer has to shoulder all the downside risk and costs?
Profit sharing is fine, and I did this with my former company. But don’t you dare come begging for me to bail out your butt if I have no upside reward!
Report Post »Mike N
Posted on July 26, 2011 at 5:22pmI’m okay with union workers sharing in the profits of their companies if their hourly wage is similar to non-union workers in other industries employing the same skillsets. Unfortunately, UAW members have the highest blue collar wages and want the profit sharing too . . . completely unrealistic expectations.
Three years ago we should have let the auto industry sink or swim on its own. Since nature abhors a vacuum, other upstarts would have bought the assets of any failed company, hired their unemployed at lesser wages, and begun producing autos delivering better value.
We have been dealt a blow by Obama and his union backers in “saving” the auto companies . . . their actions treated the symptom, but not the illness. The union cancer still exists, and the same problems are destined to return in its presence.
Report Post »OC Patriot
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:47pmThey want it all, forget the bond holders, the taxpayers & the consumer!! Solvency is not relevant… Much like out entire country!!
Report Post »stefooch
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:41pmOh He77 No! Time for the UAW to get off the teet of the US Economy.
Report Post »13th Imam
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:37pmMove to South Carolina, Screw Detroit and the UAW
Report Post »jrfox
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:30pmDetroit has a new profit?? Is that weapons sales to moslums? Fertilizer sales? Machette sales? Oh, I know, hate sales. Someone will soon say I hate them , no I hate all cults and despise that group of early history barbarians.
Report Post »String Bean
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 5:00pmWell, ok, but I never thought of the UAW as a group of early history barbarians. A cult? Yeah, maybe.
Report Post »TulsaYeeHaw
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 6:51pmHow dare you compare my germanic barbarian ancestors to unions!!!
Report Post »DrFrost
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:19pmOf course they do. They won’t be satisfied until they have it all… the workers forcing the owners to basically give them the company…
There was a time when unions were needed. There were a good thing. Now they’re driving companies (and countries) into bankruptcy.
Report Post »yosemitefan
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:19pmTell the Unions go get snapped.
Report Post »Arc
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:13pmUnions push for more,
Report Post »Owners will not budge
Union strikes,
Breakers called in
No autos for months
Owners go belly up
Union cuts own throat.
Communist devise another plan.
dontbotherme
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:08pmHow about: “NO”?
Report Post »VanGrungy
Posted on July 25, 2011 at 4:07pmdon’t negotiate, dump the union… period..
Report Post »