The longest strike on cars in the United States this century has ended after a clear victory for the United Auto Workers union at all three automakers represented by the union. But don’t think that the union is seeking to repair relations between labor and management in the same way they did after previous strikes.
Success in Negotiating Successful Contracts
The deal included immediate increases of at least 11%, along with an additional 14% increase over the contract period extending to April 2028. It also included a return of cost-of-living adjustments, which combined with the guaranteed increases, are likely to raise wages by more than 30% during the contract period. The end of low wage tiers and the conversion of low-wage temporary workers to permanent employees were changes that could raise some wages by 80% to 150%. A closed plant at Stellantis was reopened and the right to strike again was reinstated to protest future plant closures.
Organizing Non-Union Automakers
Fain considers organizing foreign auto factory workers in the United States, as well as non-union electric vehicle producers like Tesla and Rivian, an even more ambitious goal for the coming year. It’s an attempt the union tried to achieve before but always failed. However, with more than half of the cars in the U.S. now being made in non-union factories, and union membership having dropped by 300,000 members, or 45%, since the beginning of the century, it is critical for the continued success of the union, and perhaps even its survival. Many other automakers are responding to the union’s successful negotiation and organizing efforts by announcing their own wage increases, which Fain refers to as a “union bump.”
Unexpected Victory
Despite the victories in the contracts, some union members objected. Nearly one-third of members at Ford and Stellantis voted against ratifying the deals, and 45% of GM members voted no. The union fell short in some goals, such as restoring health care coverage for retirees and the traditional pension plan for workers hired since 2007. Fain even floated the idea of a four-day, 32-hour workweek with no pay cut, a concept he plans to pursue in the future.
Narrow Majority Election
Fain was elected in May in the first-ever popular election held by the union to elect its leaders. In the past, only union officers could vote to elect the union’s president. However, a scandal that sent two former presidents to prison for misusing union funds, alongside other union and company officials facing bribery charges, led to an agreement on a consent decree with the Justice Department that instituted the first union elections. Despite the popular election now being conducted, Fain acknowledges he was an unwelcome candidate when he entered the race over a year ago. He is a union official and a worker from the Chrysler plant in Kokomo, Indiana, and has never been elected to a national office in the union.
Unprecedented Strategy
Fain and union leaders decided that these negotiations would be different. Talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiating table. Fain refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as a “target” for negotiations, seeking to strike a deal, perhaps through a strike, while giving extensions and staying at work at the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the two other companies to agree to the terms agreed upon with the targeted negotiator. But Fain and union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe this threat would be executed. But he did.
Strategy
Unprecedented
Finn and the union leaders decided that this negotiation would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiation table. Finn refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking to reach a deal with it, perhaps through a strike, while granting extensions and remaining working in the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the pattern established in the target negotiation. But Finn and the union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be implemented. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Finn and the union leaders decided that this negotiation would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiation table. Finn refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking to reach a deal with it, perhaps through a strike, while granting extensions and remaining working in the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the pattern established in the target negotiation. But Finn and the union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be implemented. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Finn and the union leaders decided that this negotiation would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiation table. Finn refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking to reach a deal with it, perhaps through a strike, while granting extensions and remaining working in the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the pattern established in the target negotiation. But Finn and the union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be implemented. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Finn and the union leaders decided that this negotiation would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiation table. Finn refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking to reach a deal with it, perhaps through a strike, while granting extensions and remaining working in the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the pattern established in the target negotiation. But Finn and the union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be implemented. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Finn and the union leaders decided that this negotiation would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always began with the union president and the CEO of each company shaking hands across the negotiation table. Finn refused to do that. More importantly, the union always chose one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking to reach a deal with it, perhaps through a strike, while granting extensions and remaining working in the other two companies. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the pattern established in the target negotiation. But Finn and the union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were prepared to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be implemented. But he did.
Unprecedented
Fain and union leaders decided these negotiations would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always started with a handshake between the union president and the CEO of each company across the negotiating table. Fain refused to do that. More importantly, the union always picked one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking a deal, perhaps via a strike, while granting extensions and allowing the other two to continue working. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the same pattern established in the target negotiations. But Fain and union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were ready to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be carried out. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Fain and union leaders decided these negotiations would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always started with a handshake between the union president and the CEO of each company across the negotiating table. Fain refused to do that. More importantly, the union always picked one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking a deal, perhaps via a strike, while granting extensions and allowing the other two to continue working. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the same pattern established in the target negotiations. But Fain and union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were ready to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be carried out. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Fain and union leaders decided these negotiations would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always started with a handshake between the union president and the CEO of each company across the negotiating table. Fain refused to do that. More importantly, the union always picked one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking a deal, perhaps via a strike, while granting extensions and allowing the other two to continue working. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the same pattern established in the target negotiations. But Fain and union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were ready to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be carried out. But he did.
Unprecedented Strategy
Fain and union leaders decided these negotiations would be different. The talks between the companies and the union always started with a handshake between the union president and the CEO of each company across the negotiating table. Fain refused to do that. More importantly, the union always picked one of the three companies as the “target” for negotiations, seeking a deal, perhaps via a strike, while granting extensions and allowing the other two to continue working. Once a deal was reached, they would try to get the other two companies to agree to the same pattern established in the target negotiations. But Fain and union leaders kept telling the companies and the media that they would not do that this time, and that they were ready to strike all three at the same time for the first time in their history. Many did not believe that this threat would be carried out. But he did.
Source: https://www.aol.com/shawn-fain-cnn-business-labor-120026508.html
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