As Detroit 3 offers to the UAW roll in, local autoworkers say they need higher wages, better pensions | CBC News
Amidst the Detroit Three automakers' negotiations with the United Auto Workers for a better deal, Windsor auto workers are also hoping for improved compensation and retirement benefits.
On Friday, Marco Verro shared that he lives paycheck to paycheck while standing outside of the Windsor Assembly Plant. He expressed surprise at the fact that despite coming from a family that worked at one of the major car companies, he finds himself in a situation where he has to live paycheck to paycheck while working for either Ford or Chrysler.
We don't expect everything to be perfect. All we want is to be able to live with a reasonable amount of comfort.
Shawn Fain, the UAW leader, stated that an agreement offered by GM which would come with a 10 percent salary surge was "disrespectful" during the current week.
The UAW announced that they are looking for a wage increase of more than 40% for workers in the Detroit Three auto companies. They have also criticized the proposals put forth by the companies.
Workers' Concerns: Pensions And Living Costs
The negotiations for the Detroit Three car companies that Unifor represents in Canada are taking place simultaneously but independently. However, during this bargaining session, employees in Windsor also expressed their dissatisfaction with the 10% proposition, indicating that the offer was insufficient.
Verro mentioned that he has recently achieved the highest salary bracket he is eligible for and he is optimistic that the current negotiations will result in enhanced pension plans.
"I had a feeling that the last round of changes was aimed at helping new employees, so I am crossing my fingers that this time the retired workers will benefit," he expressed.
Brian Coombe, a long-time employee of the Windsor Assembly Plant for 23 years, mentioned that it has been more than a decade and a half since the workers have received a noteworthy increase in their pay.
According to Coombe, offering a ten percent increase is ridiculous given the increase in inflation and the rising cost of living in recent years. This offer is nowhere near sufficient.
The cost of everything is increasing rapidly while salaries remain stagnant. We seem to be falling behind and all other expenses are on the rise.
According to Coombe, he thinks that pensions ought to be increased "by at least two times."
Not all workers had the same sentiment. Lori Courtland expressed that she would be content with a 10% salary increase.
According to her, the wage system that has various stages should be eliminated, where newly hired employees take up to eight years to reach the full wage.
According to Courtland, it's unfair that some of the younger workers are earning $10 or $15 less than their colleagues. He believes that, considering the large profits earned by the company, everyone should be paid the same high wage. Courtland strongly disagrees with the current situation and considers it entirely unjust.
Spread the riches among the individuals who are exerting physical effort to generate the earnings.
The UAW dismissed the deal proposed by General Motors, and it was slightly more favorable than the offer the UAW had dismissed from Ford a week prior.
Last Friday, Stellantis suggested a rise of 14.5%, which is the highest increase any Detroit Three enterprise has put forward. Fain felt the proposal was "very insufficient," yet acknowledged it as progress from the two other car manufacturers' offers.
Unifor & Ford Continue Talks
The leader of Unifor Local 200 in Windsor is John D'Agnolo, who also heads Ford's master bargaining committee. Presently, he is negotiating with the company, following the selection of Ford as Unifor's bargaining target in the previous month. If they reach an agreement with Ford, this would serve as a reference point for negotiations with other automobile manufacturers.
D'Agnolo didn't provide any remarks regarding the UAW's refusal of GM's proposed agreement. Nevertheless, he did mention that his associates are gearing up for the possibility of a strike and are eager to settle the matter amicably.
According to D'Agnolo, our goal is to find a solution to our problems in Canada. We are optimistic about reaching an agreement that can benefit our members. We believe that the key to our success lies in ongoing communication and discussion.
D'Agnolo, who has held the position of union leader for four successive rounds of contract negotiations, has stated that the current round is particularly challenging due to the prevailing economic climate.
According to him, if a strike were to occur in a neighboring region, it would have a significant consequence on a large number of individuals residing in various communities throughout Ontario and Canada.
The head honcho of Anderson Economic Group, Patrick Anderson, has shared his perspective on the recent UAW deal rejection. While he expected it, he found the union's statements following the decision to be unexpected.
Anderson stated that it doesn't shock him at all that they didn't consider it tolerable.
The reality that they referred to it as offensive... I believe it's preferable to hold discussions without using provocative language.
Anderson stated that due to the remarks made by the UAW and the swiftly approaching strike cutoff point, it appears that a strike is "inevitable."
I cannot forecast whether or not they will hold a strike, but their statements to the public suggest that there are few other options available.
