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UAW: Wage Gains Tied to Organizing Non-Union Plants
The United Auto Workers union won't win higher wages for new members until it succeeds in unionizing auto factories owned by foreign carmakers, says UAW President Bob King.
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The United Auto Workers union won't win higher wages for new members until it succeeds in unionizing auto factories owned by foreign carmakers, says UAW President Bob King.
King tells union members at a conference in Washington, D.C., that the UAW is in a "downward slide." Membership has plunged from 1.5 million in 1979 to about 380,000 in 2011.
The union can't grow if it remains unable to organize more than half the auto industry, King notes.
In recent years, the Detroit Three automakers have aimed in UAW contract talks to keep labor costs in line with those at Japanese-owned plants in the U.S. The union agreed in 2007 to let the carmakers pay new hires about half the wages of veteran workers.
But the UAW is eager to bring second-tier pay in sync with that of longtime employees. The union also hopes to boost the earnings of members at auto suppliers.
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