By BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER
The UAW is preparing to file grievances against Ford Motor for restoring merit pay and other benefits to its salaried workers without also restoring similar benefits for its hourly workforce, UAW officials told the Free Press.
The UAW views the increase for the salaried workers as a violation of its labor contract, one UAW official told the Free Press. He wanted to remain anonymous because he is not authorized by the union to speak about the issue.
The official said the union plans to collect signatures on a plant-by-plant basis over the next several weeks and submit them to the company.
Mark Caruso, president of UAW Local 892 in Saline, sent an e-mail to members today saying the UAW’s leadership voted during a meeting Wednesday to file policy grievances in every UAW Ford and ACH bargaining unit.
Ford announced in December that it is restoring merit pay increases, tuition reimbursement and 401(k) contributions this year for its salaried workers.
Also in December, Ford announced that it was offering another round of buyouts and early retirement packages to its hourly workers. The enrollment period for those buyouts ended Friday.
“We are outraged that after UAW members have sacrificed so much to keep Ford viable that Ford would so irresponsibly violate the terms of the letters of understanding,” in the 2007 labor agreement, Caruso said in his email.
Ford’s hourly workers have given up pay, benefits and other concessions in recent years and Ford has recently started to gain market share. Ford earned a $1.8 billion profit during the first nine months of 2009 and is set to report its full-year results next Thursday.
“The membership is extremely disappointed,” with the salaried employee pay increases, said Nick Kottalis, president and chairman of UAW Local 600’s Dearborn Truck unit. “It is through their effort that the company is making money.”
Ford today declined to comment on the number of workers who accepted the buyouts or on the UAW’s plans to file grievances against the company. A UAW spokeswoman did not return a phone call or an email.
General Motors, in September, also restored salaried workers pay cuts, and, in October, resumed its 401(k) match of as much as 4% after suspending it in November 2008. That’s when GM’s finances, and the U.S. economy, began to dramatically deteriorate.
http://www.freep.com/article/20100122/BUSINESS0102/100122058/1331/BUSINESS01/UAW-to-demand-Ford-restore-pay-benefits-similar-to-white-collar-staff
