Photo: The Japan Times
It's a rough time for American auto giant GM, who for the past couple of days has been involved in intensive negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW). These negotiations, at least for the time being, seems to have failed and the UAW went on strike.
According to CNN, 46,000 hourly workers left their working stations on Sunday night, leaving 31 GM factories and another 21 of its facilities paralyzed. This is the largest strike of any union against any business in the U.S. since 2007, and the first in the auto sector since the same year.
The UAW are asking for better "wages, health care benefits, temporary employees, job security and profit sharing," and have accused the employer of thinking of profits more than of the people who helped the giant get out of the crisis of ten years ago.
On its side, GM made public its offer to the UAW, but not fast enough to stop the strike. For the most part, however, their ideas are ambiguous to say the least: solutions for unallocated assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, the launch of all-new electric trucks, and the "opportunity to become the first union-represented battery cell manufacturing site in the U.S."
Financially, the carmaker committed to invest $7 billion and add 5,400 jobs in support of these plans. Also, the carmaker promises yearly wage increases, ratification payment of $8,000 and new coverage for autism therapy care, chiropractic care, and allergy testing.
“We presented a strong offer that improves wages, benefits and grows U.S. jobs in substantive ways and it is disappointing that the UAW leadership has chosen to strike at midnight tonight," the carmaker said in a statement.
"We have negotiated in good faith and with a sense of urgency. Our goal remains to build a strong future for our employees and our business.”
The UAW did not respond yet. More details on how the negotiations between GM and the Uaw are doing will surface in the coming hours.
The UAW are asking for better "wages, health care benefits, temporary employees, job security and profit sharing," and have accused the employer of thinking of profits more than of the people who helped the giant get out of the crisis of ten years ago.
On its side, GM made public its offer to the UAW, but not fast enough to stop the strike. For the most part, however, their ideas are ambiguous to say the least: solutions for unallocated assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, the launch of all-new electric trucks, and the "opportunity to become the first union-represented battery cell manufacturing site in the U.S."
Financially, the carmaker committed to invest $7 billion and add 5,400 jobs in support of these plans. Also, the carmaker promises yearly wage increases, ratification payment of $8,000 and new coverage for autism therapy care, chiropractic care, and allergy testing.
“We presented a strong offer that improves wages, benefits and grows U.S. jobs in substantive ways and it is disappointing that the UAW leadership has chosen to strike at midnight tonight," the carmaker said in a statement.
"We have negotiated in good faith and with a sense of urgency. Our goal remains to build a strong future for our employees and our business.”
The UAW did not respond yet. More details on how the negotiations between GM and the Uaw are doing will surface in the coming hours.
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