Germany’s largest trade union opening USA office with UAW

The UAW and IG Metall will hold a joint press conference Thursday at UAW Local 1853 in Spring Hill, Tenn., the UAW announced today.

They cited concessions they gave up to keep Ford afloat at the start of the recession, particularly in losing cost of living adjustments that they said haven’t been returned in the latest offer.

The unions chief Ford negotiator, Jimmy Settles, said Wednesday that with 75 percent of workers voting, the contract is failing by a 52-48 percent margin. “It looks dark now, but it might be light in the morning”, he said.

Union workers at Ford’s truck assembly plant in Claycomo have dented the push to ratify the new labor agreement worked out between Ford and the UAW. UAW president Dennis Williams said in a statement that, based on the feedback from skilled trades membership, he was determined to further discuss the situation with the company.

The UAW argues that workers at those plants make products that compete directly with suppliers and said the lower wage at those plants helps to preserve jobs and prevented Ford from closing those plants. Disagreement between production workers and skilled trades has pushed back the formal ratification of that labor agreement back, reports Fortune.

A woman named Sherry, who works in KTP’s paint department, said she’s a 21-year employee who deserves more. Wage increases of $10,633, plus a variety of bonuses and guaranteed payouts boosted the average Ford production worker’s pay by $32,513 over the life of the contract, according to the union. It’s likely the deal’s passage or defeat will come down to the 8,200 workers represented by Local 600.

Groups like the U.S. Chamber of Commerce decry efforts by unions seeking to create smaller collective bargaining units as being the labor equivalent of political gerrymandering, where the most favorable lines are drawn to gain entry into businesses where the total workforce might lean against union representation. But, “if we thought there was another dollar on the table we would have got it in the first agreement”, he said.

But the UAW said that the maintenance workers share unique sets of interests, including enhanced electrical and mechanical skills and training requirements, varying shift schedules, and even different uniforms than their colleagues working in assembly, body welding or the paint shop. Workers at Kansas City had threatened a strike during contract negotiations, but their concerns were addressed by Ford at the time. “And they don’t understand the process, so we try to do the best we possibly can to educate them on the process”. A few people think you just go open Door Number Two and see if something’s behind there.

“If you don’t have the investment, it doesn’t matter what you negotiate in wages”, said Ricke.