It appears the UAW just plain doesn’t see the handwriting on the wall. American Axle announced about a month ago that it will close a plant in Detroit, MI, because union members there failed to agree to wage cuts. That closure will put an end to 300 jobs. Not to be deterred, UAW members failed to ratify a contract in a New York plant in mid-August, causing the company to announce the closure in February of that plant – putting another 100 UAW workers on the street. Never mind these repercussions, and never mind the UAW’s attempts to “talk nice” to foreign automakers it is trying to organize – Bob King, UAW president, is adamant about pursuing a grievance against Ford that could lead to yet another strike. The grievance is based on a dubious claim related to management rights (which Ford retains in the contract), but one UAW negotiator reveals what may behind the maneuver:
“Gary Walkowicz, a UAW bargaining committeeman at the Ford Rouge assembly plant in suburban Detroit, said he expects King to settle the grievance as part of contract negotiations to make Ford’s offer to workers look more generous than it really is.”
So it is most likely a ruse to hide the fact that the UAW really can’t do that much for its members any more.
