GM's goal: All 2nd-tier pay for workers at Orion plant

[Hannah Bell]

General Motors eventually wants to pay all of the workers at its Orion Township assembly plant a lower, tier-two wage so it can affordably build small cars, such as the Buick Verano compact and Chevrolet subcompact.

The UAW and GM agreed that 40% of the workers at the Orion plant will be paid the lower wage, which is about half of the $28 that the tier-one workers make, in an effort to keep GM and its Orion plant viable and competitive -- and to bring assembly work slated for overseas to the U.S.

That deal so angered union members that they plan to protest today outside of UAW headquarters in Detroit.

Read more: GM's goal: All 2nd-tier pay for workers at Orion plant | freep.com | Detroit Free Press http://www.freep.com/article/20101016/BUSINESS01/10160359/1319/GMs-goal-All-2nd-tier-pay-for-workers-at-Orion-plant#ixzz12bFqFoLR


The story on this is: GM laid off Orion workers back around the time of the bailout. Now they're calling them back to work on the condition that 40% of them accept 2nd-tier wages of $14/hour -- even though they were making more than that when laid off.

The rumor is that their goal is to bust *all* workers down to second-tier wages. Getting the entire Orion plant to $14/hour = a weapon to use against workers at other plants.

It's called "whipsawing".

Not to mention that temps now outnumber regular GM UAW members. GM has been hiring temps even as it laid off regular workers.

Blatant union-busting.

There's a movement afoot to challenge UAW through NLRB on the grounds that it's not representing its membership, but is instead colluding with management against its membership.

[saigon68]

1. No One working there will Buy their Crappy Product

Get real GM--- why not pay them $7.99 an hour then they will be eligible for "Food Share"

Who the Fuck can afford a $25,000.00 car on 12 -14 an hour when you have to pay $250.00 a month for health insurance.

Fuck those assholes (I'll bet the Execs BONUS will be stunning)

[Hannah Bell]

2. The leadership of UAW International voted themselves a pay raise right after the bankruptcy,

while they're forcing their membership down to $14/hour.

And GM has made TWO BILLION IN PROFIT in the last 6 months.

But as you say, the price of a car hasn't dropped.

[Scuba]

3. No, that's the short-term goal. Long-term? Slavery.