UAW strike looming

[TCHB]

These aren’t executive compensation packages…

Not even close. $18 to $32 an hour. In and out paying that much.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2023/09/15/uaw-strike-average-workers-wages/

 

[Bobby V]

But Bobby says you'll get a pension some day.

Dad worked 35 years on the assembly line before they shut down South Gate. He stayed active at the hall helping others understand their insurance benefits when retired. His pension and SS was what he lived on until he passed away.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Dad worked 35 years on the assembly line before they shut down South Gate. He stayed active at the hall helping others understand their insurance benefits when retired. His pension and SS was what he lived on until he passed away. View attachment 1278039

That was the golden age for sure. My dad was retail clerks union for 40 years. Was great when he started. Eroded to crap before he retired. He was locked into the old school terms though.

My wife was also in the same union for over a decade. It’s not the same gig for young people today. I think she will get like $200/month in her 60s.

 

[Sharky]

What would the RDP braintrust consider a fair wage for an assembly line worker?

About 37% of the hourly wage of a dealer mechanic.

 

[gqchris]

Looks like the value of my new Bronco just went up a bit!

 

[86403]

About 37% of the hourly wage of a dealer mechanic.

Don't know the industry, whats that in $/hr??

 

[Sharky]

Don't know the industry, whats that in $/hr??

About $20 an hour.

 

[Runs2rch]

Looks like the value of my new Bronco just went up a bit!

Here we go again....

You know what you have! Rare! Current strike means no new orders!

99k not a penny less!

 

[riverroyal]

If Unions are such a great thing why is there membership declining for the last 50 years?



I live in Houston which has very little unions. A longtime family friend was high up in the IBEW before he left to open his own shop. He used to tell the story that unions in Houston were strong until Rice Stadium was built in the 50s. The GC got into a fight with the head of the carpentry union over something personal. The GC through out the carpentry union got scabs and off they went to work. After that unions started weaker and weaker in town. Now they are very weak.



My Dad got a grievance filed against him from a union a while ago. One of his guys was on a jobsite in the middle of nowhere in west Texas and called him asking could they overnight him some parts so he could finish and go home. Dad went to the factory on a Saturday as no one was there and shipped out what the guy needed to get home. The next week he got in trouble as Unions were supposed to handle all shipping and pulling.

because the business owners don't want to be a union company. If there's less companies union then there's less union workers.

 

[Dana757]

UAW strikes is what killed my hometown, Anderson, IN. GM shut down and moved those plants to Mexico. When I was in high school our town was on the cover of Life Magazine for highest unemployment in the nation. Town never recovered and is ranked 3rd worst in the state.

 

[Bobby V]

UAW strikes is what killed my hometown, Anderson, IN. GM shut down and moved those plants to Mexico. When I was in high school our town was on the cover of Life Magazine for highest unemployment in the nation. Town never recovered and is ranked 3rd worst in the state.

Were most of the UAW workers from Andersen?

 

[regor]

That was the golden age for sure. My dad was retail clerks union for 40 years. Was great when he started. Eroded to crap before he retired. He was locked into the old school terms though.

My wife was also in the same union for over a decade. It’s not the same gig for young people today. I think she will get like $200/month in her 60s.

My favorite union of all time!!!!!

 

[Flying_Lavey]

It's been headed that way for a long time. The problem is whenever steps are taken in that direction, it requires negotiations because it reduces jobs. The UAW can't have that. The American automakers are truly their last stronghold. All of the the startups and imports that built plants here are non-union. I wonder how they manage to find employees?

Seems like a killer time to do so..... none of those pesky union workers in the way to stop the machines from being installed. Lol!

That and Mexico...... the big 3 could make the deal and be better off and the UAW and its membership would be the ones REALLY hurting.

As my dad would say.... "Dems some fart smellers".

 

[Dana757]

Were most of the UAW workers from Andersen?

Yes, you either worked for Delco, Guide Lamp or you worked for a company who did. My dad was a stock broker in town. He asked my friend to move his Honda car to the street because he didn't want his clients to see an import car in his driveway. lol

 

[ChumpChange]

O’Biden is already supporting it, saying that the record profits need to be shared with the little guy.

Absolutely! And maybe they’ll save the money they receive so they can put it back in the company when they car companies start having losses again. Share the wealth. Share the pain.

 

[FROGMAN524]

UAW strikes is what killed my hometown, Anderson, IN. GM shut down and moved those plants to Mexico. When I was in high school our town was on the cover of Life Magazine for highest unemployment in the nation. Town never recovered and is ranked 3rd worst in the state.

These union viruses kill the host and move on. I don’t understand it.

 

[77charger]

I wish I had a pension.

Same here I learned being loyal don’t mean shit at a place. Once owner died and son took over I realized I’m gonna be used til I can’t work no more and gotta hold the door myself on way out.

Original owner was the bomb he took care of me and appreciated my loyalty had future plans for me unfortunately he passed. His son former best friend just saw dollars he changed suddenly which sucked but knew my time was up and moved on. And like many said to me years ago they were right. No thanks on my
Last day and talked shit on later. We’ll he closed cause other employees bailed too.

 

[azsunfun]

Thought, I know the u.n. immigrant push around the world is happening, Las Vegas hospitality now talking strike along with others, is a crushing of high paying union jobs about to be replaced by invaders?

 

[Warparty36]

If you don’t like your job or your pay then go work somewhere else. There are plenty of places hiring and plenty of people willing to “settle” for your over paid job that you can’t get fired from. The creation of OSHA did away with any need for unions to keep workers safe. I’m sure they could buy robots or train monkeys to replace these cry babies. They pull all of this BS and then wonder why jobs are shipped over seas. Funny that the foreign car companies that have assembly plants in the US aren’t union and they are making it just fine. They pay a good wage without all of the BS.

 

[grumpy88]

If you don’t like your job or your pay then go work somewhere else. There are plenty of places hiring and plenty of people willing to “settle” for your over paid job that you can’t get fired from. The creation of OSHA did away with any need for unions to keep workers safe. I’m sure they could buy robots or train monkeys to replace these cry babies. They pull all of this BS and then wonder why jobs are shipped over seas. Funny that the foreign car companies that have assembly plants in the US aren’t union and they are making it just fine. They pay a good wage without all of the BS.

I'm curious what you do for a living that couldn't be done by somebody else cheaper ?

 

[grumpy88]

Thought, I know the u.n. immigrant push around the world is happening, Las Vegas hospitality now talking strike along with others, is a crushing of high paying union jobs about to be replaced by invaders?

High paying union jobs in Vegas! Lol . Most casino workers are modern day equivalente to coal workers . Live with 3 room mates and give half there money back for food ,drinking and gambling .

 

[Warparty36]

I'm curious what you do for a living that couldn't be done by somebody else cheaper ?

I’m self employed in the oil and gas industry. If my customers find a better value somewhere else, they have the right to buy from who they want to.

 

[azsunfun]

High paying union jobs in Vegas! Lol . Most casino workers are modern day equivalente to coal workers . Live with 3 room mates and give half there money back for food ,drinking and gambling .

Pretty sure s.e.i.u. is involved in everyone of these strikes. Obama even made home child care s.e.i.u. members wanting to be or not.

 

[grumpy88]

Pretty sure s.e.i.u. is involved in everyone of these strikes. Obama even made home child care s.e.i.u. members wanting to be or not.

A lot of the casinos are service employee union but certainly not paid well by anymeans . I'm around it everyday it's almost depressing . It reminds me to be grateful for what I have .

 

[grumpy88]

I’m self employed in the oil and gas industry. If my customers find a better value somewhere else, they have the right to buy from who they want to.

Self employed certainly put you in the driver seat . Do you mind charging a little less so the oil companies can pass those savings on to us at the pump please ! Lol

 

[BabyRay]

Bastards forced me to buy a new truck last night, a 2023 GMC Canyon Denali (all of which are built at Wentzville, which is shut down). They’re harder than heck to find already, so I jumped on this one as soon as I was told it was available, figuring the units in transit may be the last for a while and the dealers would start marking them up if they haven’t already, or more if they have.

I got what I thought was a fair trade-in value on my old semi-beat-up 2010 Avalanche, and two grand off sticker. I thought that was pretty decent in these times, as the other dealerships I visited were adding several thousand to the sticker price, pre-strike. Now I hope I don’t regret the black wheels, but I think they look great! What the hell, I’m not planning any serious off-road stuff, and if I beat ‘em up I’ll replace ‘em. The only items missing are a tri-fold tonneau cover and cargo box lighting, both of which I’ve already ordered.

Lousy picture, but it’s all I have for now. I’m picking it up in a couple of hours, after they’ve shined it up.

Consider this to be my LAM post, and I’ll forego the thread.

 

[rrrr]

UAW strikes is what killed my hometown, Anderson, IN. GM shut down and moved those plants to Mexico. When I was in high school our town was on the cover of Life Magazine for highest unemployment in the nation. Town never recovered and is ranked 3rd worst in the state.

Over the roughly 20 years I occasionally attended and later crewed at Anderson Speedway, it was clear the town was in a long and painful decline, and that was several years after GM first began closing the 20 or so plants around town.

I remember a few times going there in the spring when racing season started, and seeing a quarter mile long stripped clean area that was a huge assembly plant the year before. Like many Midwest towns of the late 90s, unemployment combined with methamphetamine created a destructive cancer.

I was just looking at some recent photos of the downtown area, and it has undergone a significant change. The original brick storefronts now house nice restaurants, bars, and trendy shops. The town is just 40 miles from Indianapolis, and I think the resurrection is due to cheaper housing that first attracted commuters after the 2008 meltdown and then businesses to serve them. It looks much different than I remembered.

 

[Dana757]

Over the roughly 20 years I occasionally attended and later crewed at Anderson Speedway, it was clear the town was in a long and painful decline, and that was several years after GM first began closing the 20 or so plants around town.

I remember a few times going there in the spring when racing season started, and seeing a quarter mile long stripped clean area that was a huge assembly plant the year before. Like many Midwest towns of the late 90s, unemployment combined with methamphetamine created a destructive cancer.

I was just looking at some recent photos of the downtown area, and it has undergone a significant change. The original brick storefronts now house nice restaurants, bars, and trendy shops. The town is just 40 miles from Indianapolis, and I think the resurrection is due to cheaper housing that first attracted commuters after the 2008 meltdown and then businesses to serve them. It looks much different than I remembered.

That theater was recently restored and is really cool. It was super awesome when I was a kid too. Sat abandoned for 20 years or so. And yes downtown has improved. On that street anyway. Go a block over and the houses are all boarded up. Crime in that area is off the chart. I grew up 6 blocks from there. My dad was getting ready for work on morning brushing his teeth looking out the second story bathroom window and some dude runs across the lawn and yanks a copper down spout off the gutter. A few weeks later he yanked off another one. They have all been replaced with plastic now. All the drug and grocery stores in that area have been closed due to theft. Have to drive out to 109 bypass to go grocery shopping now.
Anderson is like a mini Detroit with all the abandoned houses. Get out of town a bit and it’s pretty nice. My brother has a really nice property right on the river 10 miles or so from town. Built a bitchen barn and building a bad ass house now.
The race track is still going.

 

[azsunfun]

Ford laying off.
In a statement, Ford said:

Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy will have knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage. In this case, the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint departments has directly impacted the operations in other parts of the facility.
This is not a lockout. This layoff is a consequence of the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint departments because the components built by these 600 employees use materials that must be e-coated for protection. E-coating is completed in the paint department, which is on strike.

 

[shan]

About 37% of the hourly wage of a dealer mec

Ford laying off.
In a statement, Ford said:

More of that to come. FAFO.

 

[coolchange]

Unions served their purpose back in the day. But now you have the union, the state and the fed in your shit. Just look at the union halls. Where does the money come from for the

I would prefer the Pacer with that motor.

Scrambler Rambler for me

 

[caribbean20]

Bastards forced me to buy a new truck last night, a 2023 GMC Canyon Denali (all of which are built at Wentzville, which is shut down). They’re harder than heck to find already, so I jumped on this one as soon as I was told it was available, figuring the units in transit may be the last for a while and the dealers would start marking them up if they haven’t already, or more if they have.

I got what I thought was a fair trade-in value on my old semi-beat-up 2010 Avalanche, and two grand off sticker. I thought that was pretty decent in these times, as the other dealerships I visited were adding several thousand to the sticker price, pre-strike. Now I hope I don’t regret the black wheels, but I think they look great! What the hell, I’m not planning any serious off-road stuff, and if I beat ‘em up I’ll replace ‘em. The only items missing are a tri-fold tonneau cover and cargo box lighting, both of which I’ve already ordered.

Lousy picture, but it’s all I have for now. I’m picking it up in a couple of hours, after they’ve shined it up.

Consider this to be my LAM post, and I’ll forego the thread.

$2K off sticker seems to be the norm and best we can do these days. I chiseled about the same off on a new SUV several weeks ago and thought I hit the lottery compared to what dealers were asking last couple of years.

 

[Kenboat]

In the Midwest the UAW has helped to set the standard of pay in our region for manufacturing jobs. I have worked nonunion and union as a electrician in my career and seen great workers in both environments.
Currently an partial owner of an electrical contractor with 800 union field craft in Ohio and Michigan. I have not been a union member for the last 30 years and many times I have to deal with the worst of the union workforce when one of the field gets in trouble. But we also have union electricians that have worked 40 years for only our company, hardly if ever go to a union meeting unless it is the Christmas party. Our field guys are paid enough to afford a nice home, a new car or truck and live a good life. As owners we do well but do not make hundred of times the money our field does.

The current trend with top management is to be paid so much more than the average employee will cause those in the trenches to grow resentful and band to together to demand a fair wage. The UAW is asking for a lot, but don't forget the fact that top management has had over a 40% increase in pay in the last 10 years.

I have found most owners of companies get so focused on getting more and more that nothing else matters,greed just takes over and they loose site of fairness.

Next thing is strikes and pickets.

 

[CarolynandBob]

Step dad was GM union and retired. Dad was self employed. Dad was WAY richer than step dad. I was union at General Dynamics for about 2 years. I wanted to improve myself and make more money. I made deal with my manager. If they paid for my school and I got the higher certification I would do the job for 1 year without getting paid for it. I got the certification and started interpreting x-ray film the union got pissed. They said they were going to file a grievance on my behalf. I laughed and told them good luck. Told my manager and he said fuck them and made me salary with a pretty big raise. Got raises every year based on my negotiations and they were a lot larger than the union raises.

I just can't wrap my head around wanting someone else to determine your pay and benefits.

 

[Singleton]

The current trend with top management is to be paid so much more than the average employee will cause those in the trenches to grow resentful and band to together to demand a fair wage. The UAW is asking for a lot, but don't forget the fact that top management has had over a 40% increase in pay in the last 10 years.

But that is not 100% accurate.
GM’s CEO has a 2.1M base salary. The majority of her compensation is from stock that is awarded to her from the BoD, based on company performance over a 3 year period. Yes she has made a ton in stock over the years, but that only gets paid out if the company performs. Similar to GE, the BoD can cancel equity awards if the company does not perform.

FYI - The Union turned down equity awards as part of compensation last negotiation. GM offered 20% pay increase over 4 years, 10% after year one, plus equity awards based on overall company performance but the union turned that down the day before the strike. They want an hourly increase, with a reduction in hours worked (that will never pass).

 

[FROGMAN524]

But that is not 100% accurate.
GM’s CEO has a 2.1M base salary. The majority of her compensation is from stock that is awarded to her from the BoD, based on company performance over a 3 year period. Yes she has made a ton in stock over the years, but that only gets paid out if the company performs. Similar to GE, the BoD can cancel equity awards if the company does not perform.

FYI - The Union turned down equity awards as part of compensation last negotiation. GM offered 20% pay increase over 4 years, 10% after year one, plus equity awards based on overall company performance but the union turned that down the day before the strike. They want an hourly increase, with a reduction in hours worked (that will never pass).

More money for less of everything, it’s the Biden world we live in.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

But that is not 100% accurate.
GM’s CEO has a 2.1M base salary. The majority of her compensation is from stock that is awarded to her from the BoD, based on company performance over a 3 year period. Yes she has made a ton in stock over the years, but that only gets paid out if the company performs. Similar to GE, the BoD can cancel equity awards if the company does not perform.

FYI - The Union turned down equity awards as part of compensation last negotiation. GM offered 20% pay increase over 4 years, 10% after year one, plus equity awards based on overall company performance but the union turned that down the day before the strike. They want an hourly increase, with a reduction in hours worked (that will never pass).

Then let’s be accurate. She has a $29M a year package. $2.1m was base, and $6.2 was bonus. All cash. The rest was options or stock awarded.

Her package has ballooned 35% in the last several years… why? Have sales gone up? Has margins gone up? Has costs gone down? Has shareholder value gone up? GM stock is trading flat over the last 5 years.

I’m not against the C suite people getting paid, but when you make $350% more than the average person at the company and have a 35% pay increase in the last 4 years for no real increase in stock price, the optic’s aren’t great.

 

[TCHB]

The big 3 will start moving manufacturing to Mexico and thousands will lose their jobs. Might be the start of the "Hold on to your hats"

They have been doing this for years.

 

[Singleton]

Then let’s be accurate. She has a $29M a year package. $2.1m was base, and $6.2 was bonus. All cash. The rest was options or stock awarded.

Her package has ballooned 35% in the last several years… why? Have sales gone up? Has margins gone up? Has costs gone down? Has shareholder value gone up? GM stock is trading flat over the last 5 years.

I’m not against the C suite people getting paid, but when you make $350% more than the average person at the company and have a 35% pay increase in the last 4 years for no real increase in stock price, the optic’s aren’t great.

If the union wants to win anything, they need to flip the script.
Stop saying 40%, state the fact that 92% of her compensation as CEO is tied to General Motors’ profit margins.
While the stock has been flat, margins have gone up over the last 5 years.

 

[4Waters]

They have been doing this for years.

They will get a pretty good contract but it will likely be their last

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

If the union wants to win anything, they need to flip the script.
Stop saying 40%, state the fact that 92% of her compensation as CEO is tied to General Motors’ profit margins.
While the stock has been flat, margins have gone up over the last 5 years.

Agreed.. but that hasn’t translated to a meaningful stock price increase either.

The union has the entire establishment media on their side. They already have won, the question will be how much and at what cost?

 

[Singleton]

Agreed.. but that hasn’t translated to a meaningful stock price increase either.

The union has the entire establishment media on their side. They already have won, the question will be how much and at what cost?

Higher margins are allowing for larger stock repurchases, which allow for more stock grants based on performance.

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

Higher margins are allowing for larger stock repurchases, which allow for more stock grants based on performance.

Again.. that’s not a good look in the current climate.

 

[TCHB]

They will get a pretty good contract but it will likely be their last

IBEW should take over!

 

[grumpy88]

IBEW should take over!

IBEW should take over!

I think vic and the carpenters beet them to it ! Lol

 

[FROGMAN524]

Then let’s be accurate. She has a $29M a year package. $2.1m was base, and $6.2 was bonus. All cash. The rest was options or stock awarded.

Her package has ballooned 35% in the last several years… why? Have sales gone up? Has margins gone up? Has costs gone down? Has shareholder value gone up? GM stock is trading flat over the last 5 years.

I’m not against the C suite people getting paid, but when you make $350% more than the average person at the company and have a 35% pay increase in the last 4 years for no real increase in stock price, the optic’s aren’t great.

When hasn’t that been the standard?

 

[shan]

When hasn’t that been the standard?

I never compared my salary to the CEO's salary. I always compared my salary and benefits to what I could make elsewhere, but that's me. I'm not nor do I want to be a CEO.

 

[jet496]

These union viruses kill the host and move on. I don’t understand it.

Yup, I worked at Oscar Mayer in 1979 making bank slaughtering pigs. We were all fat, dumb & happy but the union went on strike, got what they wanted & the plant shut down the kill floor operation shortly after eliminating 75% of the jobs. They shipped the carcasses in.

In hindsight I'm grateful because I could've been stuck there working in a slaughterhouse my entire life. Unions are ridiculous & anybody that buys into them are on the same level as your typical liberal. Just sayin'

 

[LargeOrangeFont]

When hasn’t that been the standard?

Before 20 years ago.

 

[FROGMAN524]

Before 20 years ago.

View attachment 1279169

Not sure I’d feel differently if my boss’s boss’s boss’s boss made 30 times more than me or 3,000 times more than me.