Review Car

UAW: Employment on Rise

The UAW is reporting that after years of battles that the big three automakers are now having all their workers that were previously laid off back on the job. General Motors brought back the final 2,000 workers that they used for hourly workers. While, Ford brought back their workers as well, minus a few of those that have been laid off at the Louisville, Kentucky plant while the plant is being reconfigured to handle the newer vehicles. Even Chrysler has added around 5,000 hourly workers to their lineup. This is great news for everyone involved since it is signaling that the auto market is much better than they thought. 

The vice president of the UAW for Chrysler, General Holiefield points out that the complaints that are coming in now are not those that are dealing with having no work, workers are now complaining that they are working too much overtime. And when compared to past years, this is music to the ears since it once again proves that the automotive industry is improving. 

In the following weeks and months, the UAW will be touching on those plants that were closed in 2009 and those that are being planned to be closed. They hope to make sure that these plants are reopened and kept open in order to accommodate more workers for the automakers. For example, they are hoping to convince GM to restart those plants that were closed in Spring Hill, Tennessee and Janesville, Wisconsin. While also keep the Shreveport, Louisiana plant open for people to work at and for GM to use. 

The UAW also touched on the Orion contract that they recently completed. Though there are many that do not like the contract since it does limit the maximum amount that people can make to $28 per hour, and also gives them health benefits that are half of what normal autoworkers get, the UAW is proud of the contract that they made. And point out that if it weren't for these things, no contract would have been drawn.