A Grievance to Shoot Ourselves in the Foot With

[Scott]

After negotiating concession after concession after concession UAW Vice President Bob King is now appalled that Ford has reinstated a few benefits to front line management.  He is so upset that he wants us all to sign a grievance against management getting their benefits back.

The most likely end result will be either nothing, or that Ford Corporate pulls back the benefits that they were going to reinstate.  Who exactly does that help?  The only ones to benefit from a grievance like this are Fords corporate leadership; you know, the ones making millions already.  They can take the benefits back from front line management and tell them it’s your fault.  Do you think that will make our day to day interactions with management easier?

The old saying goes “A rising tide lifts all ships.”  This is one of the basic arguments that the UAW uses in organizing campaigns.  The fact that front line management got some of their benefits back should be used as a bargaining chip at every meeting with the company.  Bob King, and all union leaders for that matter, should make this inequality of sacrifice the first thing out of their mouth any time they meets with a representative of the company, and if a different representative walks in to a meeting they should greet that person with the same statement.  The fact is that the sacrifices the UAW has given have not been even close to equitable with corporate sacrifice. 

Instead of grieving for management to lose their benefits we should have this as one of the biggest bargaining chips on the table in the 2011 negotiations, right alongside the willingness of the rank and file to go out on strike to get back what was sacrificed when the company was in trouble.  We displayed this willingness through our historic vote to reject the contract modifications that were pushed on us with considerable intimidation by the International Union.
It is my position that this grievance is not only pointless, but counterproductive. 

Therefore; I will refuse to sign it.   

[blackjack]

If management gets screwed, that is OK with me.

Sounds like your ether management yourself, or a management suck ass.   Possible just a wimp!!!!

[Jack]

I can't see how Managements gains could be used as a bargaining chip. They Win You Lose that's all there is to it.

Your only option is being able to strike when the time comes to gain anything.

Sounds like management mentality to me too.

[liqudspine]

This has brought up for two main reasons in my opinion.
1. bargaining chip for 2011
2. Allows Bob King to save some face politically after the beating he took with the Octomods from Ford.

Since he almost definitely will be the next UAW President he realizes he must do some damage control after the Octomods where so overwhelmingly shot down. it did not help King or any IUAW official when the day after the voting was done Ford post an almost 1 billion dollar profit.

Less than a few months later Ford announces reinstatement of certain salaried benefits. Hopefully this will serve as a wake up call for Mr King that you can only help so much it is not always the workers fault, and at the same time the workers are not always going to be the solution to all of the companies problems.

What IUAW should be pushing for is not giving anything back yet to hourly or salaried, we are not out of the woods yet. Sure we had a good year but we could fall just as hard just as fast all over again. I agree with some that say Ford should put the money into the debt they owe, or into research and development anything that will assure the company contiue on the path we currently are on.

As it is now we are only counting our chickens before the eggs are hatched. 

[Jack]

I still don't understand how Managements raises can be used as a bargaining chip. They can Pay them what they want no matter if it is more or less.

[liqudspine]

I still don't understand how Managements raises can be used as a bargaining chip. They can Pay them what they want no matter if it is more or less.

The grievance is being wrote up as a violation of the equity of sacrifice letter of understanding that was included in the march modifications agreement.

Again I only see it as a political ploy to save face for leadership who tried every trick in the book to convince the membership that"we must ratify the octomods".

[Jack]

OK! Now I understand where this is going. Like You said it's a Political Maneuver.  He learned well from Gettelfinger.

[Scott]

I see you’re angry!  I’m angry too. 

I’m angry that my International President and Vice President would have the audacity to negotiate a modification that includes a NO STRIKE clause with a company they knew was profitable; then send out their foot soldiers to try to intimidate the membership into ratifying their garbage! 

I can’t believe that my International President and Vice President would be complicit with the company in creating a caste system of UAW members where International Officers wages and benefits are untouchable, while new hires are worth half as much as current members and retirees can have the health care they were promised in past contracts compromised and slashed.

I’m pissed that the International President and Vice President encourage local unions to compete against one another to see who can negotiate the sweetest sweetheart deal with the company in order to stay open.  (It usually didn’t work)

After all this and much much more; I’m suspicious of their motives in bringing this paper tiger policy grievance for all of us to sign.

I hope we can harness this anger to bring about reform in our union.

Elect delegates to the Constitutional and Bargaining Conventions that commit to a policy of reversing concessions.

Submit an amendment to the UAW Constitution to your local requiring the rank and file membership direct elections for the International Executive Board.

Let’s direct this anger where it can do some good.