Oct. 20, 2023 – Our UAW-GM national negotiators had an extremely busy week, but General Motors still lags behind the other automakers on a number of fronts. GM management is not showing the urgency we need to see as we enter the sixth week of our Stand Up strike. The update below shows where we’re at and where we need to go.
WAGES
At all three companies, as of this week, we have a 23% raise on the table. That’s up from 20% just a few days ago, and up from 9% when they made their first offer. The companies kept saying they hit their limit, and then their limit went up. We think there’s more ground to gain.
WAGE TIERS
At all three companies, we have killed massive wage tiers. This is a major win, and has been a major priority. We believe in equal pay for equal work.
At GM, CCA and GMCH will make production wages. This represents huge raises for those members, and will end the toxic wage tier divide among these members.
WAGE PROGRESSION
We started these negotiations with a ridiculous 8-year progression. Ford is now down to 3 years, where it was in the mid-90s.
At GM, they want to two-tier the progression, with 3-years for all current employees, and 4 years for future hires. Obviously that is NOT going to fly. If Ford can do it, so can GM, and we are NOT adding a new tier.
COLA
At Ford, we have won COLA back to where it was in 2009, something we were told was impossible. At GM, we’re really close to having COLA back to where it was in 2009, but there are some tweaks left to make.
PROFIT SHARING
At all three companies, we’ve been able to beat back concessionary profit-sharing proposals.
At Ford, we’ve actually enhanced it, and temp workers with 90 days will now be eligible. At GM, we’ve maintained profit-sharing, but added eligibility for Temps with 1,000 hours on the job.
TEMPS
We’re fighting to end the abuse of so-called temp workers who make lower wages, have fewer rights, and little security. At GM, we’ve hit $21 an hour for temps, with all of the temps who have a year in getting immediately converted to full time.
At all three, we’re still negotiating a pathway for future temps to get converted to end the abuse of these members. We’re fighting hard to win language across the Big Three that will make sure that temporary work is just that – temporary.
JOB SECURITY
One of our biggest proposals on job security has been the right to strike over plant closures. They can’t keep closing plants without any consequences.
At Ford and Stellantis, we’ve won that right. At GM, the company still won’t grant it. We have to win that right so we can keep our jobs secure with the most powerful weapon we have, the strike threat.
WORK-LIFE BALANCE
At all three companies, we’ve won an additional holiday, Juneteenth, and two weeks of paid parental leave, a first for our members at the Big Three.
RETIREMENT
We know we need to fix our broken retirement system at the Big Three. All three companies are now offering a $3 increase to the pension multiplier, and boosting the 401k, though GM lags behind. Ford and Stellantis are offering a 9.5% employer contribution to the 401k, and GM is offering just 8%.
For current retirees, Ford is offering a deeply inadequate $250 annual lump sum payment. GM is even worse: just a one-time $1,000 lump-sum. We are going to keep fighting to win justice for all our retirees.
SKILLED TRADES TOOL ALLOWANCE
All three companies are now at $1.50 tool allowance for skilled trades.
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