Fifty-five Ford employees will be elevated to first-tier pay status after the automaker exceeded its cap on second-tier hires.
Automotive News reports the employees were hired between February and June of 2010, and work at the automaker’s facilities in Kansas City, Chicago and Louisville, Ky., per the announcement by the United Auto Workers. The union praised the move, considering it a milestone as it presses forward toward the goal of eliminating the two-tier system in its contract with Ford. The contract requires that second-tier employees be promoted to first-tier in order of hiring when the cap on the former is exceeded.
As a result, those 55 employees will see their pay rise from $19/hr. to $28/hr., though benefits will still fall short of those received by employees hired in 2007 and earlier. Currently, 14,200 of the automaker’s 50,400 U.S. employees are on second-tier pay status, and that it was 69 employees away from hitting the cap of 28 percent of all employees for that level of pay. Ford is the only one of the Detroit Three to have a cap in place; General Motors and FCA US had caps of 20 to 25 percent of all employees, which were lifted in 2009 under bankruptcy protection.
Fifty five down, ten thousand fifty five to go.
Question: Do I get a discount on the greens fees at the “Union” owned golf resort if I’m in the second pay tier.
Yup,get me some more UAW love down here.
Why pay dues to an organization that treats its newest members as second class citizens.
Same hours,same work,less money.
And yet there will be those who cheerlead for the “Union” to expand into right to work states.
“Why pay dues to an organization that treats its newest members as second class citizens.
Same hours,same work,less money.”
That’s just it, as much as I dislike unions for political and economic reasons, I never could understand why people who take their job seriously as professionals don’t hate them more. Lowest-common-denominator rules, seniority over skill, protection for dirtbags, etc. If I’m an honest, hard-working factory guy, and 99% are, why do I want my union standing up for dirtbags like those getting drunk/high at lunch who are giving me a bad name?
I never understood that.
Because we would be defending/protecting/fighting vehemently for you if you were wrongly accused of running bad parts which I’ve seen happen to an excellent worker. The guy would have never been brought back on a non-union shop. How about if you end up with a supervisor who just for some reason hates that crap out of you and does everything in his power to get you fired? So sorry, you’re on your own because once you’re fired he’s getting his buddy in.
If you are a good worker you just go about your business and thank the union for negotiating the wages and benefits which allows you to have a good living – all for around $1000.00 a year in union dues. No one in their right mind can tell me that they are able to hire a lawyer for that price to negotiate the wage and benefit packages we get!
Ah the delicious irony of trade union jobs paying better than non-union jobs. Do these guys and gals go for lower paying jobs for some sense of noblisse oblige and hoping to gain the “respect” of some ill-defined, specious “professionals”. Most guys and gals in the trades are professionals who strive to bring it in on time and on budget. Oh golly, gee willkers, many of their union required training classes are transferable as college credits. But I’m quite sure there are many “professionals” who are proud to be in charge and leading the corporate team in a proactive manner adding unknown amounts of team empowerment and over-arching cohesion as they prepare a multi-slide power point presentation of the WEENUS or TSP. The dress code will be followed.
Why would they even report such a non story?And i don’t know why i am commenting on it.We need better articles.
My (deceased) parents were UAW workers, so I find articles like this interesting.
And they wouldn’t even be making the $19 if it weren’t for the union.
John
I didn’t realize that all the American Honda and Toyota employees make less than $19/hr.
I’ll be sure to check my pay on Friday, last payday it was around $32, maybe I got a pay cut.
Yeah, but your pay is based on pressure from UAW shops.
I work on the engineering side of a non-uaw automaker. They raise your wages whether you believe it or not.
The argument would be whether or not Honda would pay those types of salaries if there was not pressure to keep unions out. In my experience if there is a union shop and a non union shop in the same town the non union shop tends to pay lower to start but then has to pay about the same as the union shop to keep employees. Just sayin.
Indeed good sir, why we would all be poor,dumb,sharecroppers living hand to mouth if it weren’t for the likes of Jimmy Hoffa.
The most endearing thing about true believers in communism is their heartfelt naivete and the need to blather about making life better for the common man.
Except when it comes out of their own pockets and not at the expense of someone else.
A labor union works to represent one voice to the factory owners when it comes to wage/safety/working conditions. Trade unions are a bit more complicated with classroom training, on the job training, and system of apprentice, journeyman master. Are most masters of a trade wearing a toolbelt? Probably not, they’re advising labor and management on how to the job more effectively. Where there/are there union abuses? Oh yes, knuckleheads getting high at work and outrageous work rules are prime examples of that. However, unions be they labor or trade give a great many the opportunity to become part of the American middle class. I do not understand the blind hatred on TTAC against people who want to improve their life. Oh, I fully expect steaming vitriol and examples of union misdeeds from those who are really, in the end against someone getting ahead in life. In the end, I bidded on and won enough union/prevailing wages jobs to make a nice little profit and get as many as my employees in the union as I could. There are no graveside ATMs.