Quality
What is the UAW doing to improve vehicle quality?
Beginning in the 1980s, UAW members decided that quality issues were too important to be left to management and negotiated a direct role for workers in quality initiatives at Chrysler, Ford and GM. These voluntary programs offer a means to use the experience and know-how of the people who know the factory floor best — rank-and-file workers — to improve workplace processes that contribute to quality.
Joint labor-management quality initiatives are part of the UAW’s commitment to deliver excellence to automotive customers — and a strategy to improve job security for UAW members by enhancing the competitiveness of union-made products in the marketplace.
Do these programs produce tangible results?
Yes. Industry observers uniformly agree that quality is rising. The so-called “quality gap” between domestically produced vehicles and the Japanese and European vehicles has narrowed significantly in recent years — and in many cases, has disappeared altogether.
We believe it is no coincidence that sustained improvement in vehicle quality has taken place in the years following a UAW-negotiated commitment to directly involve workers in quality initiatives.
At Chrysler, for example, more than $1 billion worth of cost savings and quality improvements have been identified by rank-and-file workers since a joint Product Quality Improvement (PQI) Partnership was first negotiated in 1980.
In 2006 UAW members at Chrysler generated 66 new patents and identified more than $231 million in savings. While the program is voluntary, tens of thousands of workers participate as individuals or in teams — more than 40 percent of the UAW-Chrysler workforce.
Through their participation in the UAW-GM Quality Network, UAW members at General Motors have helped the company improve quality while saving nearly $3 billion through productivity improvements since 1992.
Among the many quality improvements made by UAW members through the UAW-Ford Best-in-Class Quality program is warranty cost reduction. Ford’s warranty cost in 2004 was $69 per unit. Those costs have declined steadily each year and are now $38 per unit.
How did UAW facilities perform in the latest J.D. Power quality ratings?
Members of UAW Local 36 won the J.D. Power Platinum Award as top quality plant in the world producing vehicles for the U.S. market. Workers at Wixom achieved the lowest defect rate among plants in North and South America, Europe and Asia.
Members of Local 36 won this award for their top-quality performance in 2007 even though Ford Motor Co. announced in April 2006 the plant would be closed in 2007. It is difficult to imagine a more dramatic statement of the total dedication to quality by UAW members.
How did union-made vehicles perform in the latest J.D. Power Initial Quality Study?
The Initial Quality Study, which surveys customers based on their experience during the first 90 days of owning a vehicle, identified six UAW- or Canadian Auto Workers (CAW)-made vehicles as best in their class, with fewest reported defects per vehicle:
Highest-ranked midsize sporty car: Ford Mustang, UAW Local 3000, Flat Rock, Mich.
Highest-ranked large car: Pontiac Grand Prix, CAW Local 222, Oshawa, Ontario
Highest-ranked large multi-activity vehicle (MAV): Lincoln Mark MT, UAW Local 600, Dearborn, Mich.
Highest-ranked large pickup: Chevy Silverado Classic HD, UAW Local 2209, Fort Wayne, Ind.
Highest-ranked midsize pickup: Toyota Tacoma, UAW Local 2488, Fremont, Calif.
Highest-ranked van: Chevrolet Express, UAW Local 2250, Wentzville, Mo.
How did union-made vehicles perform in the latest J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study?
The most recent dependability study, released in August 2006, surveyed consumers about their experience after three years of owning their vehicles; it demonstrates the long-term dependability of cars and trucks produced during the 2003 model year.
Six UAW- and CAW-made vehicles were identified as best in their product class:
Highest-ranked midsize sporty car: Chevrolet Monte Carlo
Highest-ranked midsize car: Buick Century
Highest-ranked large car: Mercury Grand Marquis
Highest-ranked large multi-activity vehicle (MAV): GMC Yukon/Yukon XL
Highest-ranked midsize pickup: Ford Ranger
Highest-ranked large premium MAV: Cadillac Escalade EXT
