EditorDespite a majority of production workers voting to approve the tentative agreement at General Motors and the United Auto Workers’ top negotiator pushing to see the new contract put into effect—despite the rejection by GM’s skilled trades—UAW President Dennis Williams has decided to extend the expired 2011 contract for another week.
A statement issued by the UAW’s Williams states:
The International Union, UAW’s International Executive Board met to discuss the ratification results for the tentative National Agreement recently negotiated with General Motors LLC. As previously noted, while the majority of the entire UAW-GM membership voted in favor of the tentative agreement by a 55.4 to 44.6 percent margin, the skilled trades membership voted against ratification. Beginning late last week, following receipt of these ratification results, meetings were held with the UAW skilled trades membership at each GM worksite in order to determine the issues for their rejection of the tentative agreement. Based on this feedback from the skilled trades membership, I have determined that further discussion with the company was needed. Such discussions are currently taking place. [Emphasis added.]
UAW options are limited.
While Williams and his UAW team may get some movement from GM negotiators, it is equally likely that the company says ‘no‘ to any further movement.
The UAW is in a tough spot.
First, as a majority of UAW members did, in fact, vote to ratify the agreement, to hold it up any longer for skilled trades may prompt a severe backlash among production employees (who outnumber skilled trades members).
Second, while the UAW could call members out on strike, this seems unlikely because (as noted above) an overall majority voted to accept the offer.
Third, which may be the UAW’s only recourse if the company says ‘no’ to moving any further for the skilled trades, would be for the UAW to implement the already-ratified agreement.
On the other hand, however, in the off chance the company does make some movement, then the UAW might have to risk putting the “new” tentative agreement back out to members to vote on again.
If, by chance, members rejected the new agreement, then this would be a huge embarrassment to UAW leadership and poses huge risks from both inside the union, as well as from workers at other auto companies who may be watching from afar.
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