UAW members remain faithful to their negotiators
Click here for updates on this story
Flint, MI (WJRT) — The UAW-GM Strike is now approaching week five, and both sides are eager to make a deal.
GM made its most recent offer on Monday, and then the UAW countered that offer on Friday. They said if GM accepts and agrees to this group of proposals, they will have a tentative agreement.
The negotiations are continuing over the weekend, and an exclusive ABC12 source shared some of the details of GM’s offer. Regardless, picketers say it’s not good enough until their UAW leaders say it is.
Those details include 3% raises in years two and four of the contract, a $9,000 signing bonus for full-time workers, and a $3,000 signing bonus for temporary workers. Those details were confirmed by Bloomberg, a New York City news platform that focuses on global business and financial information (their full article in the related links).
“Generally, if it’s leaked, the corporations put it out there to cause issues between the members and UAW. When it comes to bargaining, we’re there to support the international union. When they get the deal they need, what’s good for us, they’ll tell us it’s over,” Terry Everman said. Everman has worked for GM for 43 years.
One striker at the Truck Plant says there’s more on the line than just the money.
“We have a lot more issues. We have outsourcing problems that’s going on here, and other things that needs to be addressed here at our facility. I just think I’ll stay with what our union brothers are fighting for, and we’ll be here until the bitter end,” Charles Jupree said. Jupree has been a GM employee for 42 years.
That message was echoed down the street outside the Metal Center.
“What’s good enough is when they bring me the piece of the paper with the negotiation. Nothing is good enough until I see a piece of paper that’s signed by the president of the union and the head of the GM department. When the UAW says to me, ‘This is what we negotiated. I want you to read it, digest it, and vote on it,’ then I’ll believe it,” Tom Voelker said. Voelker has been a GM employee for 52 years.
Also today, the UAW increased strike pay by $25, which is now up to $275 per week.
As for a comment from the UAW on the details of GM’s offer, UAW leaders say there has been no official communications about content of offers, and leaking may be attributed to people trying to stir the pot.
Please note: This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.
