UAW-GM Contract “Lowlights”

Autoworker Caravan

Posted October 22, 2019

Inequality continues — Concessions remain!

We fought for the things that matter to us. We went on strike and supported our sisters and brothers who went on strike! We made it loud and clear that we wanted everyone made whole. Instead a hole was left in our solidarity. Everyone Tier One! Let’s look at the facts. The complete contract (“White Book”) is here. The Solidarity House Contract “Highlights” are here. References are to the white book unless otherwise stated.

Everyone Tier 1

COLA NOW!!
Protect Against Inflation!!

Make Temps Permanent

• The language for temps imposes additional wait time does not guarantee a path to seniority status. If they’re laid off more than 30 days that breaks their time. Temps time should be cumulative with no loss for lay-offs. All temps should be made permanent upon ratification! Future temps get no pay increases. (pages 51, 52, 53)
• Temps only get up to 40 hours of paid and 24 hours of unpaid time off per year. We are human beings with lives outside of GM. (page 54)
• Temps get less than half the signing bonus of seniority workers and still don’t get profit sharing. (page 189-190)
• Still no pensions for 2nd tier workers. (current contract language unchanged not even an increase in 401K)
• Tier two workers remain the most likely to get laid off due to their lower seniority, yet only get 26 weeks SUB pay. Everyone should get 52 weeks! (“Highlights” page 16)
• We produce maximum value for the company as soon as we learn the job. It used to take 90 days to reach top pay. (page 85)
• They say there’s a “moratorium” on plant closing. It’s the same language as we had in the last contract and a lot of good it did us. Lordstown, Baltimore and Warren Powertrain are all still closing Fontana CCA closing too. We need the teeth to fight this. We need the right to strike during the agreement! Whose plant will be next?
• CCA & GMCH workers still have an eight-year progression. Some CCA employees would see a wage cut. We should get 100% of top wage as soon as we can do 100% of a job! (pages 68-70 & 86-87)
• No restoration of COLA. With inflation going up you can kiss the buying power of your wage gains goodbye.
• We need OT after 8 hours and on Saturday. Work/life balance for autoworkers isn’t improved in this tentative agreement. It’s supposed to be “8 hours for work, 8 hours for sleep and 8 hours for what we will!”
• Alternative Work Schedules are coming. (page 8)
• Continued job loss due to in house “outsourcing” by companies like Aramark and GM Subsystems. This is divide and conquer. Those are the good jobs we’re supposed to be able to do when we’re getting close to retirement! We can’t work on the assembly line for 30 straight years! It tears our bodies apart!
• Doc 8 (attendance policy) is still in effect. This punitive, one size fits all policy doesn’t allow managers to take into account personal circumstances and forces far too many of us to get on FMLA so we don’t get fired. It’s the contract equivalent of mandatory minimum sentencing. (pages 124-129)
• The Tuition Assistance Program (TAP) still doesn’t cover our families or retirees like it used to. (pages 205-208)
• Once again there is no raise for retirees. When is the last time pensions were raised?
• Will all new workers start off as temps? This contract offers no clear answer.
• Breaks remain based on 3 minutes per hour. Ford workers get 5 minutes per hour!
• Trades consolidation continues. The one-size-fits-all “mechanical” classification is left intact. (pages 198-200)
• Will healthcare remain unchanged? (page 10, Company-Union Committee on Healthcare Benefits)

These are some of the lowlights. We fought GM because of their obscene profits and Mary Barra’s outrageous pay. GM workers will continue to suffer under this contract. If we can’t win now then when?