Strike Three for GM: Delta Township Workers Walk Out
Yesterday, managers at GM's Delta Township plant (Buick Enclave, Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia) sent workers home after a strike at Alliance Industries left them carpetless. Workers were told to report back to work this morning in case the parts were there. This morning, carpets were the least of GM's problems. The Detroit Free Press reports that UAW workers at Delta Township walked out on strike over the terms in their local contract. It's too early to know what effect the walk-out will have or how long it'll last, but between this and the strikes against American Axle and Alliance Industry, the UAW is taking a big bite out of GM's business. While The General probably welcomed the shutdowns at first– it gave them a chance to clear out a backlog of trucks– they're starting to feel the pressure. Can they afford to dig into their diminishing cash hoard relieve it? Can they afford not to?
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Another big difference between the transplants and the UAW organized plants are the work rules. The rigid definitions of tasks and those who have to to what severely limits the flexibility of unionized factories. Seems to me this would be one area that the UAW would be more amenable. Those transplant factory workers should be glad that the UAW exists. Because of the desire to keep the union out, transplant management has to offer desirable wage and compensation packages. Should the UAW ever slip into total disarray, count on wages at the transplant factories to decrease.
I'd end the strike when I noticed profits declining as a direct result of the strike. If the plant wasn't making money; let it idle. Put more money into the products other plants make. Let `em strike for eight to ten years. That's how you play hard ball.
Another big difference between the transplants and the UAW organized plants are the work rules. The rigid definitions of tasks and those who have to to what severely limits the flexibility of unionized factories. Seems to me this would be one area that the UAW would be more amenable. Those transplant factory workers should be glad that the UAW exists. Because of the desire to keep the union out, transplant management has to offer desirable wage and compensation packages. Should the UAW ever slip into total disarray, count on wages at the transplant factories to decrease. You got it right.....as a "transplant" employee we have always had the benefit of union wages without the union BS that goes with it. You can count on our overseas honchos to cut wages to a "competitive" level as soon as the unions have all been busted or closed down.
The Detroit 2.8 and the UAW/CAW seem an awful lot like an abusive, bad marriage that neither side will end with a divorce. The children (product) just suffers and continually gets beat in the ballpark (market place). Or maybe the comparison should be more like a crack dealer (himself on crack) and his customers.