Possible auto strike

[K5Blazer]

Consider the following:

UAW authorized a TON of concessions in 2008/09 to keep people employed while accounting for the massive recession consequences. Much of this is trying to catch up.

There have been many studies into a 4-day work week that have shown no drop in productivity, some even show an increase. With a 4-day work week per employee, there would likely be a need to increase total employment to keep coverage.

40 hours a week of standard work was a massive improvement...100+ years ago. More and more health studies are showing that we are all massively overworked and undercompensated. Work to live, not live to work.

How much real expectation is there of a shop working ONLY the standard work week? I've known a whole ton of people that worked in automotive shops and they REGULARLY had to deal with mandatory overtime. Lots of work, lots of overtime, but what's the point of having the money if you're too busy working to enjoy it? Imagine what your life would look like if you only had to work 4 days a week. I work in IT. I am good at my job. But my job is Mon-Fri, banking hours. My last job tacked on 2 hours in my car to commute a day. It was literally killing me. I didn't see a raise in the entire time I worked at the old job, despite having the BEST numbers in my team. New job? Still "40" hours, but it's almost entirely WFH. My health immediately turned around, it offered 25% more money. I do just as much work, IF NOT MORE, as my last job, but my actual working time isn't 40 hours a week. I get a salary, but I "produce" more than enough work in less time to justify the cost of my employment. If the workers can "produce" 40 hours work of car in 32 hours, reward that productivity!

Once upon a time, getting a job at a car plant was blue collar gold. Yes, it was HARD work. But it paid well, had good benefits, a pension. Since Reagan, there's been a massive decline in unions and worker compensation while the C-Suite compensation has sky-rocketed. Anti-union actions from corporations and government have hurt ALL OF US that aren't in the C-Suite, even white collar professionals are operating under depressed wages. UAW is pushing for a restoration of what working for one of the Big 3 used to mean. And those companies can afford it, they're reporting massive profits, the CEOs etc are getting massive paychecks for increasing share value.

TL;DR - we should ALL be pushing for much better wages and 4 day work weeks. It's just a shame most of us aren't in unions that can help level the playing field when it comes to negotiations. Rising tides lift all boats. Move out of the 20th century mindset. We don't owe the C-Suite loyalty, they cut all loyalty to their workers in the pursuit of a few pennies more on the dividend for next quarter for the shareholders.

I've been excited for the Maverick since it was announced. I regret not going ahead and ordering one in 2021; I had the money, but I was navigating a divorce. But I ordered one almost exactly a year ago. My truck is scheduled for build on the 18th. I am STILL excited! But I can wait however long I need to wait. I can save more money and I fully support the union.

You obviously don’t understand inflation and the devaluation of the dollar.

Blame the central bankers. Thats the problem.

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[cooper]

You obviously don’t understand inflation and the devaluation of the dollar.

Blame the central bankers. Thats the problem.

Yes, let's all throw our hands up and let the executives and upper management extract all the profits. We'll quietly stew and blame the central bankers while we eat our rice and beans.

Hint, you can do both. We should celebrate when other lower and middle class workers fight for better wages and working conditions. That raises the expectations for all of us.

 

[Jman79]

Yes, let's all throw our hands up and let the executives and upper management extract all the profits. We'll quietly stew and blame the central bankers while we eat our rice and beans.

Hint, you can do both. We should celebrate when other lower and middle class workers fight for better wages and working conditions. That raises the expectations for all of us.

Wait.... There's a middle class?

 

[K5Blazer]

Yes, let's all throw our hands up and let the executives and upper management extract all the profits. We'll quietly stew and blame the central bankers while we eat our rice and beans.

Hint, you can do both. We should celebrate when other lower and middle class workers fight for better wages and working conditions. That raises the expectations for all of us.

Don’t worry, you’ll soon be a billionaire, all of us will be.

Ask the people of Zimbabwe, the Weimar Republic, and so on.

 

[cooper]

Don’t worry, you’ll soon be a billionaire, all of us will be.

Ask the people of Zimbabwe, the Weimar Republic, and so on.

Hilarious. There's always a straw man.

 

[K5Blazer]

Yeah, that could never happen to the USA could it?

 

[cooper]

Yeah, that could never happen to the USA could it?

Right, because increasing the wages of UAW workers is going to turn the USA into the Weimar Republic. Keep on moving those goal posts.

Amazing how quickly you managed to get to Godwin's Law.

 

[fossil]

Wait.... There's a middle class?

sure is/was, current thinking is mid point of the middle class is about $127K though when talking taxes any changes on those making over $250 is an assault on the middle class. Either way I never made the cut.

 

[Gretal]

Consider the following:

UAW authorized a TON of concessions in 2008/09 to keep people employed while accounting for the massive recession consequences. Much of this is trying to catch up.

There have been many studies into a 4-day work week that have shown no drop in productivity, some even show an increase. With a 4-day work week per employee, there would likely be a need to increase total employment to keep coverage.

40 hours a week of standard work was a massive improvement...100+ years ago. More and more health studies are showing that we are all massively overworked and undercompensated. Work to live, not live to work.

How much real expectation is there of a shop working ONLY the standard work week? I've known a whole ton of people that worked in automotive shops and they REGULARLY had to deal with mandatory overtime. Lots of work, lots of overtime, but what's the point of having the money if you're too busy working to enjoy it? Imagine what your life would look like if you only had to work 4 days a week. I work in IT. I am good at my job. But my job is Mon-Fri, banking hours. My last job tacked on 2 hours in my car to commute a day. It was literally killing me. I didn't see a raise in the entire time I worked at the old job, despite having the BEST numbers in my team. New job? Still "40" hours, but it's almost entirely WFH. My health immediately turned around, it offered 25% more money. I do just as much work, IF NOT MORE, as my last job, but my actual working time isn't 40 hours a week. I get a salary, but I "produce" more than enough work in less time to justify the cost of my employment. If the workers can "produce" 40 hours work of car in 32 hours, reward that productivity!

Once upon a time, getting a job at a car plant was blue collar gold. Yes, it was HARD work. But it paid well, had good benefits, a pension. Since Reagan, there's been a massive decline in unions and worker compensation while the C-Suite compensation has sky-rocketed. Anti-union actions from corporations and government have hurt ALL OF US that aren't in the C-Suite, even white collar professionals are operating under depressed wages. UAW is pushing for a restoration of what working for one of the Big 3 used to mean. And those companies can afford it, they're reporting massive profits, the CEOs etc are getting massive paychecks for increasing share value.

TL;DR - we should ALL be pushing for much better wages and 4 day work weeks. It's just a shame most of us aren't in unions that can help level the playing field when it comes to negotiations. Rising tides lift all boats. Move out of the 20th century mindset. We don't owe the C-Suite loyalty, they cut all loyalty to their workers in the pursuit of a few pennies more on the dividend for next quarter for the shareholders.

I've been excited for the Maverick since it was announced. I regret not going ahead and ordering one in 2021; I had the money, but I was navigating a divorce. But I ordered one almost exactly a year ago. My truck is scheduled for build on the 18th. I am STILL excited! But I can wait however long I need to wait. I can save more money and I fully support the union.

Many here may not like what I have to say, but here I go. I agree with what you have said, I am a union baby. My father was a juryman electrician by trade and pulled wire in home building industry. The union help with benefits such as retirement, health, Long Term Care & life insurance, work conditions, wages etc. They make sure the electricians trained through apprenticeship programs and more. Strike are unfortunate and it is going to happen. It helps with the check and balance between the companies who employe the worker and s workers them self's. And it does stop production. I hope it is not for long. There are many folks who have ordered their Mavericks way ahead of mine and I hope they arrive soon. So Iam getting of my soap box.

 

[Old Man]

I think the 46% was over a 4 year period.
A 32 hour work week is ridiculous. Just as many studies show productivity overall drops because if they can produce the same amount of product in fewer hours then they weren't trying very hard. Plus with the mechanization at assembly plants has made work far easier than 20 or 30 years ago.
Pensions are pretty much dead in corporate America because they bankrupt government agencies and companies. Look at the hundreds of police, fire, ... pension funds that are so underfunded they are going broke.
Profit should mostly go to company shareholders who provide the money for companies to exist.
One of the biggest sticking points is the union wants to control work management practices which is a management function and board positions in non-union EV plants under construction.
Car makers will continue to move plants out of union states to southern states and Mexico to stay competitive with foreign car maker plants there. That means more union jobs lost and northern cities suffering.

The impact to you: big increase in vehicle cost. Longer waits to get a vehicle.

Moderate compromise on both sides is the only workable answer. But that rarely happens with management and unions.

 

[Gibby1525]

Well this got deep. My whole point is a delay would not be great when you are waiting. My dad was UAW for 36 years. I have worked in a union as a member and as management with a union.
My worry was a 46% raise, could slow down negotiations. With robotics taking over some assembly I understand some of the demands and understand their need for their security To make a living.
My hope is both sides can work it out, avert a strike and maintain production.

 

[fossil]

Just a few months back many were sure that a rail strike would stall their delivery until their Mavericks got lot rot.

 

[TrailMaster]

My hope is both sides can work it out, avert a strike and maintain production.

Mine too.

 

[Fmp0926]

Are you crazy. A 46% pay increase and 4 day work week. This is nuts.

I agree. I'm all for fair wages but asking for a 46% pay raise while working 20% fewer hours is nuts. A more realistic demand would be for profit sharing. Automakers should be passing along a portion of their profit to the workers.

 

[Maverstang]

This is the question. I've yet to see an answer re parts to Mexico. (My build is scheduled for 16 Oct.)

One potentially impacting component is the hybrid transmission, which is built at the Ford Van Dyke plant in the US…

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