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Post by simonsays on Oct 13, 2011 10:54:37 GMT -5
Voting has begun on Ford's (NYSE: F ) new labor agreement, and as I write this on Tuesday afternoon, the early returns are even closer than I had predicted: With 7.3% of locals reporting, the UAW said on Tuesday, only 50.1% of regular production workers and 45.2% of "skilled trades" (a category of specialist workers, typically senior) voted to approve the contract. One key UAW local has already voted to reject it.
Voting still has several days to go, but those are grim numbers. How is this likely to play out?
Cooler heads have yet to prevail UAW's Local 900 represents workers at the factories that produce the Ford Focus, in Wayne, Mich. Of the 2,582 Local 900 workers who voted on the contract, 51.1% voted to reject it, according to media reports on Tuesday. A UAW official with the local told the Associated Press that workers rejected the contract because it doesn't include cost-of-living increases, and because they are angry about Ford CEO Alan Mulally's lavish pay package.
Given the importance of keeping Ford's fixed costs as low as possible, those reasons may sound inane to shareholders and disinterested observers. But they shouldn't be surprising to those who have followed this story closely. While General Motors (NYSE: GM ) workers passed a broadly similar (but less rich) contract with only a moderate amount of grumbling, the anger of Ford workers who feel they have been left out of the company's renaissance has been palpable for awhile.
Ford has been generating solid profits and seeing big sales gains, but while white-collar workers and executives saw raises and bonuses last year, UAW-represented workers have so far not had the opportunity to share in the spoils. This proposed contract attempts to address that with enhanced profit-sharing, raises for entry-level workers, and roughly $10,000 in payments that workers will receive shortly after the contract is ratified.
That is, if it's ratified. If not, workers could be in for a much harder time.
What if they really reject it? Ford has several options if workers reject the contract. One possible outcome is that Ford could attempt to impose the contract despite the rejection, but workers could respond in turn with a strike. That would hit both sides hard, but it could hit the UAW harder: Although the lost production would be expensive for Ford, the huge hit it would probably take in the court of public opinion could end up being a disaster for the UAW.
The consequences of a failed contract vote are easy to imagine: a public-relations disaster for the UAW that ends their efforts to organize the "transplant" factories owned by foreign companies like Toyota (NYSE: TM ) and Honda (NYSE: HMC ) ; an effort by Ford to shift more production to places like Mexico and possibly even China; and a poisoned relationship that makes the success of future efforts to preserve U.S. jobs much less likely.
Will workers think that through? Expect the UAW's leadership to make a major effort to ensure that they do. UAW Vice President Jimmy Settles has been visiting Ford plants in recent days to argue in favor of the agreement, but UAW leaders are likely to turn the heat way up in light of these early returns. Expect other union leaders, including possibly President Bob King himself, to make appearances in plants that have yet to vote -- and to argue forcefully for the ratification of this agreement.
When all is said and done next week, I think the contract will ultimately pass. Unions are very good at getting the votes they want from their membership. But it'll be close, and I'll reiterate what I said the other day: If you're thinking of buying Ford stock, you might want to hold off until this thing is resolved -- one way or another.
bring it on
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Oct 13, 2011 11:17:15 GMT -5
Yea, Jimmy and Bob will make it to LAP and KTP to push for votes.
If they do come down here, they better be surrounded by chicken wire on stage.
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Post by elmer on Oct 13, 2011 14:24:07 GMT -5
hay simonsays you didn't give the writer of they story credit, who wrote it?
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Post by ihatemyjob on Oct 13, 2011 14:38:00 GMT -5
People act like UAW workers are the ones with something to lose. Ford has lots to lose to. You think Ford wants to lose business or the great quality they have? You think the Ford family wants to lose the family business so a hired gun named Mullaly can win a game of chicken?
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Post by Ktp1989 on Oct 13, 2011 15:35:18 GMT -5
People act like UAW workers are the ones with something to lose. Ford has lots to lose to. You think Ford wants to lose business or the great quality they have? You think the Ford family wants to lose the family business so a hired gun named Mullaly can win a game of chicken? Exactly...Ford loses a bunch in this chicken game if they want to push it. They will not go down while things are this good PR wise, quality wise, and profit wise over a small issue such as COLA or returning of some of the issues that have the membership upset...they will find that medium ground and then in the future know that they come correct because we are fed up.
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Post by Dr. Death on Oct 13, 2011 20:17:21 GMT -5
The media kills me. We're not idiots. I think we all know that right now we set pretty good(Union and Company) in the Public's view as far as not taking the "Bail Out" money. And we all know that a strike would hurt both of us not just the Union.
But with the leadership we have (International and local) playing the scare tactic games, that's just juvenile. What little respect I had for are Union is pretty much gone. Todd Dunn's statement of "no comment" has been the only thing said by any of them to be the least bit intelligent. Bob "Company Man" King and Jimmy "No Neck Sell Out" Settles has really shown their ignorance with their comments. I guess since we are all hurting their feelings about the Great contract they have gave us, is why they went on facebook and made the comments that we would just strike instead of renegotiate. Are they not the ones that said before the negotiations that there is no since in taking a strike vote because we are not going to strike. While they tried to make us take more concessions they gave themselves between 15 and 25% raises.
As far as Mulally, and his self absorbed, egotistic, self-centered, take all of the money and screw everybody else attitude. There's not much any of us can do about that. Do we have to like it? Hell no!!!! But we cannot control what he makes. We can only hope to send him a message that we are not happy. After all, the recovery of the company is mainly because of the concessions we gave. Not counting selling our bodies and minds on a daily basis. As far as his famous statement "I'm good where I'm at". Well, I'm not. All I ask for is the "TEMPORARY during the 2007 contract" concessions that I gave up. Hell, out of the 8 or 10 things we gave up, I would even be willing to maybe meet them half way. As long as my profit sharing was equal to theirs. After all we are One Ford, the same from the top to the bottom. Yeah right.
Does anybody else feel like Nasser is back?
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Post by simonsays on Oct 14, 2011 3:08:16 GMT -5
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Post by lapquality on Oct 14, 2011 5:05:44 GMT -5
a STRIKE is the LAST thing FoMoCo wants right now.....they would NOT allow a strike to cripple sales at this point.......the STRIKE THREAT is only coming from YOUR UNION to scare you into a yes vote......NO ONE WANTS OR WOULD BE WILLING TO STRIKE......its really a shame how this contract is being pushed down the Union Members throats......just remember what will happen once enough 2nd tier workers are in place.......NO MORE PENSIONS which is the ONLY thing that kept me at Ford for 32.5 years......stand up for yourselves now or be prepared to remain a FoMoCo employee way past 30 years......and you know what has happened to all the better jobs once you get some seniority in....they've been eliminated or contracted out...
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Post by ScottR@KTP on Oct 14, 2011 5:43:10 GMT -5
Herb Hibbs is the only one I see representing us right now. He understands this offer is unacceptable.
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Post by jagerme on Oct 14, 2011 6:54:59 GMT -5
Im confussed.Though local union leadership is not telling workers how to vote, the top UAW official at the truck plant, Building Chairman Scott Eskridge, was a lead negotiator for the contract. In a letter to workers, he says it "is not a perfect agreement, but a good agreement" and he's voting in favor of it.
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Post by ScottR@KTP on Oct 14, 2011 7:01:01 GMT -5
Todd Dunn did not say how he was voting...many of the others are telling workers how to vote as well as how they are voting...in support.
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Post by jagerme on Oct 14, 2011 7:08:18 GMT -5
Sorry that was pasted from our local news channel. I didnt write it.
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Post by grimbold on Oct 14, 2011 7:19:48 GMT -5
People act like UAW workers are the ones with something to lose. Ford has lots to lose to. You think Ford wants to lose business or the great quality they have? You think the Ford family wants to lose the family business so a hired gun named Mullaly can win a game of chicken? The Ford family has played that particular game in the past as well. Yes, the stakes are high but don't for a second think they don't know how to play the game. If this contract goes down, this will be the second time in a row. I don't expect them to take it sitting down specifically because the stakes are so high. As I've said before... prepare for the worst.
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Post by bigkingdingy on Oct 14, 2011 7:20:00 GMT -5
I dont understand the "Self-directed work teams and fl ow process" New language will require the materials fl ow process be discussed with the chair prior to implementation to ensure all UAW members understand the impact of such changes. Th e union has long understood the benefi ts and value of self-directed work teams, with the knowledge that they create a more harmonious and eff ective work environment. Th e company agreed to assess the potential application of self-directed work teams with the goal of creating pilot selfdirected work teams. Does that mean that we will have to get first place in a popularity contest in order to be an upgrade, and if thats the case also basically throw seniority out the window. That may be fine for Scott E. over at KTP, but I dont want that crap at our plant. I want my Concessions back!!!
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Post by ktpguy on Oct 14, 2011 11:26:29 GMT -5
Eskridge's boys has been going thru area trying to get a yes vote from people. What a joke.
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Post by Dr. Death on Oct 14, 2011 22:11:14 GMT -5
I guess he has to do what he has to do to screw us, I mean secure that International position he was promised.
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Post by flyingsouth on Oct 14, 2011 22:27:37 GMT -5
<< "Self-directed work teams and flow process" >> If they mean line/area leaders & less bosses, hell we've been doin' that crap for years!! An' I'm all for less bosses! ;D It really ain't that bad, except on the leaders. Them poor people get it from both ends. And yes, it can be who's the "flavor of the moment" & "biggest schrong" type of thing. The problem is that some leaders get big heads & act like foremen. That's where the problems start with this git-up.
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gman
Amateur
Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work."
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Post by gman on Oct 15, 2011 9:50:29 GMT -5
just give my consessions back I don't care about all this crap up front . I want COLA, 3% PAY RAISES, CHRISTMAS BONUS, BREAK TIME , AND DAYS OFF WE GAVE UP. What kind of contract can't even get you a minute of break time back can be called a successful negotiation?
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Post by Ktp1989 on Oct 15, 2011 23:39:58 GMT -5
What is Scott gonna do...tell you to not vote for an agreement he negoiated? But I spoke with all of them and not once did anyone tell me how to vote....and I will vote no.
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