I have lost count of the number of times I have heard a union member say, "The company is lying to us. The accountants are only making it look like the company is losing money to get concessions from the union."
During local negotiations at some Delphi locations, union leaders spent days writing bogus grievances, piles and piles of them, demanding that they would only be settled after their other demands were met. This resulted in some very costly shop rules.
For example, if a department needed to work overtime, a certain number of tradesmen and other support workers had to be brought in and receive overtime pay whether they were needed or not. I have seen times when only 5 or 6 production workers were needed to catch up in few areas and because of local rules 7 or 8 support people had to be brought in, too. So, 7 or 8 people came in to watch 5 or 6 work.
We were relocating an office so office furniture, files, phones and computers were placed on skids and delivered to the new location. All tradesmen were fully occupied and a few of us decided to take the computers off of the skids and take them into the office so they wouldn't get damaged. An electrician told us if we didn't stop he was going call the committeeman because we were doing his job and he might lose some overtime even though he was already working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. If this had been an isolated incident, it probably wouldn't have mattered too much but the practice was wide spread.
I was hired as an hourly employee and later was promoted to a salaried position. In 2006 our plant was closed and I was offered early retirement with significantly reduced benefits. After paying for my own health care, my pension is approximately $300 per month. ----------------------------- Responding to the person who asked if we were going to blame Obama for global warming?
You are correct he didn't create the problems that Delphi has. However, his administration has been working with GM to protect the retirement benefits for GM's workers both hourly and salary and they have decided to include most of the Delphi hourly employees and retirees, too.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are only asking for equal treatment. Since, there is not enough money to fund all of the pension plans then everyone in the group should accept some reduction in their benefits. Instead of taking most of the benefits away from one group while the others' benefits remain intact.
Much of this problem started in the 1960's. When the Big 3 sold every vehicle they could build and were very profitable. When contract time came, the stock holders demanded that strikes be avoided at all costs because strikes meant loss of profit. As a result, labor contracts were written with many generous provisions that could not be sustained indefinitely.
At least 30 years ago, the Big 3 started communicating this to their unions because they foresaw what would eventually happen. Some union leaders recognized this too but no one listened to them. They were branded as traitors to the union and were not reelected. Many union leaders told the rank and file what they wanted to hear because they were more interested in being reelected than they were about protecting the union members' jobs. If they had been interested in protecting jobs, they would have worked more closely with the companies to negotiate contracts that would provide good wages and benefits at a level that would be sustainable long term. The union would also have encouraged workers to give a full days work but they didn't. Instead, many workers were told that if they produced less they could get more overtime and maybe the company would even have to hire more workers (union members).
There is plenty of blame to go around. Management made many poor decisions and the union demanded too much.
I am not anti-union nor am I anti-management. I think unions were necessary because companies WERE demanding too much of their employees. Unfortunately, as time went on union leaders as well as management lost sight of the goal. The goal should have been to sustain a reasonable profit, reasonable wages and benefits and long term stability which would have provided job security for current employees and jobs for future generations.
The Delphi Ripple Effect
I have lost count of the number of times I have heard a union member say, "The company is lying to us. The accountants are only making it look like the company is losing money to get concessions from the union."
During local negotiations at some Delphi locations, union leaders spent days writing bogus grievances, piles and piles of them, demanding that they would only be settled after their other demands were met. This resulted in some very costly shop rules.
For example, if a department needed to work overtime, a certain number of tradesmen and other support workers had to be brought in and receive overtime pay whether they were needed or not. I have seen times when only 5 or 6 production workers were needed to catch up in few areas and because of local rules 7 or 8 support people had to be brought in, too. So, 7 or 8 people came in to watch 5 or 6 work.
We were relocating an office so office furniture, files, phones and computers were placed on skids and delivered to the new location. All tradesmen were fully occupied and a few of us decided to take the computers off of the skids and take them into the office so they wouldn't get damaged. An electrician told us if we didn't stop he was going call the committeeman because we were doing his job and he might lose some overtime even though he was already working 12 hours a day 7 days a week. If this had been an isolated incident, it probably wouldn't have mattered too much but the practice was wide spread.
I was hired as an hourly employee and later was promoted to a salaried position. In 2006 our plant was closed and I was offered early retirement with significantly reduced benefits. After paying for my own health care, my pension is approximately $300 per month.
-----------------------------
Responding to the person who asked if we were going to blame Obama for global warming?
You are correct he didn't create the problems that Delphi has. However, his administration has been working with GM to protect the retirement benefits for GM's workers both hourly and salary and they have decided to include most of the Delphi hourly employees and retirees, too.
We are not asking for special treatment. We are only asking for equal treatment. Since, there is not enough money to fund all of the pension plans then everyone in the group should accept some reduction in their benefits. Instead of taking most of the benefits away from one group while the others' benefits remain intact.
September 30, 2009 at 11:57 a.m. permalink suggest removal
The Delphi Ripple Effect
Much of this problem started in the 1960's. When the Big 3 sold every vehicle they could build and were very profitable. When contract time came, the stock holders demanded that strikes be avoided at all costs because strikes meant loss of profit. As a result, labor contracts were written with many generous provisions that could not be sustained indefinitely.
At least 30 years ago, the Big 3 started communicating this to their unions because they foresaw what would eventually happen. Some union leaders recognized this too but no one listened to them. They were branded as traitors to the union and were not reelected. Many union leaders told the rank and file what they wanted to hear because they were more interested in being reelected than they were about protecting the union members' jobs. If they had been interested in protecting jobs, they would have worked more closely with the companies to negotiate contracts that would provide good wages and benefits at a level that would be sustainable long term. The union would also have encouraged workers to give a full days work but they didn't. Instead, many workers were told that if they produced less they could get more overtime and maybe the company would even have to hire more workers (union members).
To be continued
September 30, 2009 at 11:56 a.m. permalink suggest removal
The Delphi Ripple Effect
There is plenty of blame to go around. Management made many poor decisions and the union demanded too much.
I am not anti-union nor am I anti-management. I think unions were necessary because companies WERE demanding too much of their employees. Unfortunately, as time went on union leaders as well as management lost sight of the goal. The goal should have been to sustain a reasonable profit, reasonable wages and benefits and long term stability which would have provided job security for current employees and jobs for future generations.
To be continued
September 30, 2009 at 11:55 a.m. permalink suggest removal