UAW to Members: "This Isn't a Contract Year of Concession" [Video]

Mark Stevenson
by Mark Stevenson

The UAW is disseminating a message of hope on its YouTube channel, letting the members know the negotiations are going to be rosey, everyone is getting a pony, and you absolutely totally shouldn’t question their ability to negotiate better contracts.

(Also, the UAW has a YouTube channel. I guess it’s a lot cheaper than inviting members out to a golf course to let them know what’s going on.)

The video uses some incredibly strong, forceful language to let the members know that the negotiators mean business.

“The message is we’re working really hard, working really hard for them. Understood, this isn’t a contract year of concession. It’s really, truly just the opposite, and that’s exactly how we see it,” said Romeo Torres of Local 509.

Other quotable moments include:

“Just have the confidence in your negotiators. They’ll do a fine job for you.”

“I think the members should be realistic about this contract.”

“We’re going to try to get the best contract we can get.”

“I really, truly believe this is going to be a great agreement…hopefully.”

Sizzling stuff, there.

Your UAW Ford negotiators, everyone!

[via The Detroit News]


Mark Stevenson
Mark Stevenson

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  • Superdessucke Superdessucke on Sep 04, 2015

    Do they have nukes pointed at China? If not, I don't know how much leverage they have anymore. Why aren't these guys gone already??

  • Mikey Mikey on Sep 04, 2015

    Union leaders , are first , and foremost .....politicians. Politicians , for the most part , tell the electorate "what they want to hear". The rank, file , aren't stupid, they are very much aware, that it's all rhetoric , and "sabre rattling"

    • See 2 previous
    • DeadWeight DeadWeight on Sep 09, 2015

      Agreed, mikey. As a great professor of mine once said, the pendulum swings back and forth, often to extremes, throughout history. At this point, objective and fair minded citizens of the U.S. (and Canada), be they left or right on the political spectrum, should be able to agree that labor is getting beat up, capital is being treated very favorably, and the whole system is completely out of whack, skewing the wealth inequality gap to ludicrous extremes. I think of myself as centrist, and am an independent, as I believe both U.S. political parties are systemically captured by special interests (many of these special interest groups, such as the Wall Street/Banking lobby, Big Pharma, Big Agriculture, Weapon Manufacturers, etc., have invested nearly an equal amount into the coffers of both Republicans AND Democrats, btw), and I can see that labor (those who work for a living; aka as the class formerly known as the middle class) is getting screwed relative to capital (those who invest for a living, or as is often the case, those who manage investments - OPM - of others, and get paid whether they achieve negative or positive returns). And you're correct in that the UAW "leadership" has not done a very good job of advancing their members' interests.

  • Jeff S Jeff S on Sep 04, 2015

    With the announcement of Buick importing many of their future products from China the handwriting is already on the wall. What is to stop Ford or FCA from importing Chinese made vehicles in the future? The UAW has lost the battle and will not survive in the long run.

    • See 2 previous
    • RideHeight RideHeight on Sep 06, 2015

      @shaker "Will Work For Sulfur"

  • Walleyeman57 Walleyeman57 on Sep 05, 2015

    Contrast the UAW to unions in Japan or Germany. Rather than working to bankrupt the hand that feeds them (pretty well based on most of the members I know) these other unions work to help make the company more profitable, improve quality, and police their own ranks. Here the UAW will fight to keep your job when you and your homies drink and smoke weed on the lunch break.

    • Mikey Mikey on Sep 05, 2015

      Right....So white collars, never have a three Martini lunch ?

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