Four-day workweek, 46% raise: UAW makes 'audacious' demands ahead of possible strike against Big 3 automakers

[hadit]

That’s absurd. We have a major problem of income inequality in this country, but you’re fine with it.

Who said anything about being fine with anything? I'm merely pointing out that the value of unskilled labor is not rising, and in fact will soon be done almost entirely by machines that cost less, don't take breaks and never complain. Gone are the days when a guy could graduate high school, work 40 years on the line while his wife stays home, put his kids through college, then retire at 65 and live large for 15 years. That's been eliminated by cheap foreign labor and automation.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

No. When a company makes enormous profits, they can afford to pay their workers more. It doesn’t mean the price of their products must rise.

Thanks for the laugh...

GM made a net profit of $10 Bn in 2022.
General Motors employs 46,000 union employees.
The hourly GM union employee for 2022 is $90,000
A 46% increase on that is $41,400 per employee
Adding employer paid taxes that is approx. $2.3 Bn.
If you think any company will just hand over 25% of their profits to employees and not raise prices.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

 

[hadit]

Thanks for the laugh...

GM made a net profit of $10 Bn in 2022.
General Motors employs 46,000 union employees.
The hourly GM union employee for 2022 is $90,000
A 46% increase on that is $41,400 per employee
Adding employer paid taxes that is approx. $2.3 Bn.
If you think any company will just hand over 25% of their profits to employees and not raise prices.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

Also taking into account the next year may not be so good. We saw what happened when automakers saddled themselves with lifetime pensions and healthcare obligations and the economy went south.

 

[gipper]

Who said anything about being fine with anything? I'm merely pointing out that the value of unskilled labor is not rising, and in fact will soon be done almost entirely by machines that cost less, don't take breaks and never complain. Gone are the days when a guy could graduate high school, work 40 years on the line while his wife stays home, put his kids through college, then retire at 65 and live large for 15 years. That's been eliminated by cheap foreign labor and automation.

You ignore the facts. US automakers demanded concessions from workers during the Great Recession and got them. Now those same companies have and are making tremendous profits, while paying their work force peanuts.

So you see, you have it backwards. Employers got concessions and then refused to discontinue those concessions. You should be upset with employers not workers.

 

[gipper]

Thanks for the laugh...

GM made a net profit of $10 Bn in 2022.
General Motors employs 46,000 union employees.
The hourly GM union employee for 2022 is $90,000
A 46% increase on that is $41,400 per employee
Adding employer paid taxes that is approx. $2.3 Bn.
If you think any company will just hand over 25% of their profits to employees and not raise prices.... HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!

BS. Many UAW workers are many only $15/hour.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

BS. Many UAW workers are many only $15/hour.

And many make over $100,000.
The AVERAGE is $90k
That includes all bene cost

 

[initforme]

BS. Many UAW workers are many only $15/hour.

If this is true, that's pathetic. $15 per hour is pittance pay. No wonder they should be asking for more.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

If this is true, that's pathetic. $15 per hour is pittance pay. No wonder they should be asking for more.

It is temporary pay. GM, like many companies have "step" wages.
A low wage to begin with for the first year, then it "steps" up over the next 5 years to become full wages.
BTW - many government jobs do this today as well

 

[hadit]

You ignore the facts. US automakers demanded concessions from workers during the Great Recession and got them. Now those same companies have and are making tremendous profits, while paying their work force peanuts.

So you see, you have it backwards. Employers got concessions and then refused to discontinue those concessions. You should be upset with employers not workers.

Both sides have their issues. Each side has contrary incentives. Employers want maximum productivity at minimum cost while workers want maximum cost at minimum productivity. Either side, when given too much power, tends to destroy the company. If you're going to demand that companies pay more when profits are up, you should be willing to accept less when losses are up. Isn't that a fair deal?

 

[gipper]

Both sides have their issues. Each side has contrary incentives. Employers want maximum productivity at minimum cost while workers want maximum cost at minimum productivity. Either side, when given too much power, tends to destroy the company. If you're going to demand that companies pay more when profits are up, you should be willing to accept less when losses are up. Isn't that a fair deal?

Lol. Except one side is winning totally and completely. And that’s the side you support. Are you a CEO?

 

[gipper]

If this is true, that's pathetic. $15 per hour is pittance pay. No wonder they should be asking for more.

Yes it is pathetic, particularly when you understand the high salaries paid senior executives at the Big 3. Then add in the enormous profits these companies have made the last few years, and it’s no wonder the union is making demands.

I left Chrysler in 1980, when I was laid off due to recession as were thousands of other autoworkers. I was making $9/hr. I think if you do the math, I was making a hell of a lot more money in 1980 than they are making today at $15-20/hour.

How much does an Uaw make?​

As of Sep 6, 2023, the average hourly pay for an Uaw in the United States is $18.54 an hour.

While ZipRecruiter is seeing hourly wages as high as $23.80 and as low as $8.41, the majority of Uaw wages currently range between $16.35 (25th percentile) to $20.19 (75th percentile) across the United States. The average pay range for an Uaw varies little (about $3.85), which suggests that regardless of location, there are not many opportunities for increased pay or advancement, even with several years of experience.

Based on recent job postings on ZipRecruiter, the Uaw job market in both Detroit, MI and the surrounding area is very active. An Uaw in your area makes on average $19 per hour, or $0.00 (0.182%) less than the national average hourly salary of $18.54. Michigan ranks number 40 out of 50 states nationwide for Uaw salaries.

https://www.ziprecruiter.com/Salaries/UAW-Salary-per-Hour

 

[gipper]

It is temporary pay. GM, like many companies have "step" wages.
A low wage to begin with for the first year, then it "steps" up over the next 5 years to become full wages.
BTW - many government jobs do this today as well

BS.

 

[iamwhatiseem]

BS.

BS what?
It is literlaly called "Step Wages" or "Step Salary"
Nothing new. Companies have been doing it for years

 

[hadit]

Lol. Except one side is winning totally and completely. And that’s the side you support. Are you a CEO?

If I was, I wouldn't have the time or inclination to be on here. I'd be far too busy. Parenthetically, that's one reason why I'm not one, I don't want to work that hard.

 

[justoffal]

I hope the UAW strikes all three companies. The enormous profits these companies have made needs to be shared with workers rather than enriching executives and Wall Street.

Really all workers in the US should consider unionizing and striking for better pay and benefits.

Employers need a good ass kicking.

This is the way they think…

Although unions did have some definite downsides...IE...
The Hostess fiasco...I'm slowly but surely being won over by the idea that more employees need to organize.

 

[gipper]

If I was, I wouldn't have the time or inclination to be on here. I'd be far too busy. Parenthetically, that's one reason why I'm not one, I don't want to work that hard.

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know how worker’s incomes in this country have stagnated, while productivity has increased. All while incomes for those at the top have skyrocketed.

 

[gipper]

Although unions did have some definite downsides...IE...
The Hostess fiasco...I'm slowly but surely being won over by the idea that more employees need to organize.

Exactly. Workers are realizing the system is rigged against them. Workers nationwide should unionize and force the assholes at the top to share the spoils.

Big corporations have been making sizeable profits which they use to buy back their stock, which pushes up stock prices and greatly benefits the c-level executives. The worker’s needs are never considered.

 

[initforme]

Exactly. Workers are realizing the system is rigged against them. Workers nationwide should unionize and force the assholes at the top to share the spoils.

Big corporations have been making sizeable profits which they use to buy back their stock, which pushes up stock prices and greatly benefits the c-level executives. The worker’s needs are never considered.

The management will look you straight in the eye and actually ask you to produce more and you should be thankful for the pittance $20 per hour you receive.

 

[gipper]

The management will look you straight in the eye and actually ask you to produce more and you should be thankful for the pittance $20 per hour you receive.

Yes, while they make huge salaries and are often incompetent.

 

[hadit]

You’d have to be living under a rock not to know how worker’s incomes in this country have stagnated, while productivity has increased. All while incomes for those at the top have skyrocketed.

I'm well aware that low-skilled labor has flat-lined, and that's largely because it can be done by virtually anyone anywhere in the world, hence the movement of those jobs overseas. It's cost effective to have the labor done overseas and then ship the goods back here. Add to that the inevitable automation by machines that do a better job, don't take breaks and don't complain about anything, and it won't be long before the majority of all low-skilled jobs will be done by machines.

If you want those jobs to come back to the US and for them to be paid high wages, prepare to price the poor right out of most goods and services.