Meanwhile, as the UAW was spending millions annoying autoworkers down South, union members back in Detroit were boiling at the announcement that their employer would be cutting almost one third of their jobs over the next year. And to make matters that much worse, in 2010 these same union members took $4.5M in concessions to avoid just such a layoff. These weren’t UAW members however, but UAW employees, members of the union own clerical and cleaning staff, unionized by OPEIU.
“Bob King always talks about creative problem-solving, but the only creative problem solution he’s offering is more layoffs,” said Audrey McKenna, vice president of OPEIU Local 494, which represents UAW office employees in Detroit. “We know times are tough, but they’re spending like the ‘Housewives of Beverly Hills.’”
She and other union members said the UAW has been hiring a small army of consultants for its organizing campaign against foreign-owned automakers. They also accuse King and other UAW officials of spending big on foreign travel and remodeling projects at Solidarity House. We would also mention the cost of maintaining Black Lake, the union’s northern Michigan vacation and golf resort.
When confronted about the layoffs, King said, “The last thing the UAW wants to do is lay off employees, but we have a fiduciary responsibility to our dues-paying members and cannot carry more clerical staff than justified by the size our membership.”
