GM Workers on Strike

[YENKO DEUCE REGISTRY]

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Im not too smart when it comes to unions, but what happens to the workers here when GM moves thier plants to China. Does the union then pick up thier salaries and give them benefits etc that they no loinger get when thier jobs are gone???

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No, they are SOL.

We had a union strike here about 2 years ago. The union workers at the other plants wore an arm band or two for a few days to show support. Several hundred union workers walked off the job, quietly, peacefully, and followed the proper shutdown procedures (important at a chemical plant). They picketed almost every day, sitting on their lawn chairs with coolers full of drinks and snacks, while the two sides negotiated. The company used existing employees to keep production going. When the announcement came that replacement workers (still union!!!) were being brought in - there was mayhem to say the least! Lots of picketers, police, media, helicopters - 5 union guys on the hood of my car with 3 guards trying to block them (they thought I was a replacement worker), totally nuts!

Why? The union had their way in previous bargaining sessions, but this time they were up against China, ie; no more concessions - and for the first time they would have to pay a % of the health insurance premiums (always 100% paid for the union members).

The result? The strike ended when the union realized they were done, they took a small lump sum payout, and were out of a job - only 5 were brought back, and the replacement workers were quite happy with the new contract.

Where are they now? I just ran into one working at the local hardware store a few weeks ago. Sad.

[Hylton]

Gm will drag this thing out until the union has no more money. Then they will close the plants.

[HEMIBEE]

they had a call in show on morning radio here in grand rapids, a GM worker called in and said he had not gone to work in 13 years and still gets his paycheck in the mail every week, Gm stopped production of a product in the plant that he worked in and the union contract states if there is not a job in his field within a 125 mile radias of his home he is able to collect his pay until they do, This guy thinks its funny, and they say GM is greedy at contract time, give me a break, I work at a union job and at times you tend to look at the union and shake your head for a severe lack of common sence, I know of several GM workers that play cards and read every day at work and collect 30+ dollars an hour plus bennies, alot of people are willing to bend but the union won't, I can understand when it comes to retied peoples benefits, they made a desision based on a promise and its going to be hard to take that back,