UAW protests Ford restoring white-collar benefits

[ScottR@KTP]

UAW protests Ford restoring white-collar benefits
UAW says Ford broke contract by restoring white-collar benefits after concessions from union
ap
On Friday January 22, 2010, 5:58 pm EST

DETROIT (AP) -- United Auto Workers leaders from Ford Motor Co. factories across the U.S. have voted to protest the automaker's decision to restore some benefits for white-collar workers, claiming that the move violates Ford's contract with the union.

At a meeting on Wednesday, presidents, vice presidents and bargaining chairmen voted unanimously in favor of filing grievances with the company, claiming that the benefits should not have been restored after union workers made concessions.

In December, Ford announced that white-collar workers would be eligible for merit raises, and in the third quarter it restored tuition reimbursement and 401-K matches that were cut when Ford was in the midst of a financial crisis.

Since then, Ford's fortunes have improved. It posted a $1 billion profit in the third quarter and is due to report fourth-quarter and full-year earnings on Thursday.

Mark Caruso, president of the union at a parts-making factory in Saline, Mich., said he's tired of selling concessions to his members, then seeing the company give bonuses to the CEO or merit raises to salaried workers.

"There has to be an equality of sacrifice," he said. "They don't apparently want to recognize it."

Caruso said union leaders voted for a recommendation from Vice President Bob King to file the grievances, to be signed by as many of Ford's 41,000 UAW workers as possible.

The rift is another sign of increasingly strained relations between Ford and the union. In October, Ford workers rejected another round of concessions similar to those granted to General Motors Co. and Chrysler Group LLC.

Ford spokeswoman Marcey Evans says the company does not believe it violated the UAW contract. She says Ford committed to return the white-collar benefits when its finances improved.

Messages were left with a UAW spokeswoman.

[TonyV]

Posted: 7:04 p.m. Jan. 22, 2010
UAW to demand Ford restore pay, benefits similar to white-collar staff
By BRENT SNAVELY
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

The UAW is preparing to file grievances against Ford Motor for restoring merit pay and other benefits to its salaried workers without also restoring similar benefits for its hourly workforce, UAW officials told the Free Press.





The UAW views the increase for the salaried workers as a violation of its labor contract, one UAW official told the Free Press. He wanted to remain anonymous because he is not authorized by the union to speak about the issue.


The official said the union plans to collect signatures on a plant-by-plant basis over the next several weeks and submit them to the company.


Mark Caruso, president of UAW Local 892 in Saline, sent an e-mail to members today saying the UAW’s leadership voted during a meeting Wednesday to file policy grievances in every UAW Ford and ACH bargaining unit.


Ford announced in December that it is restoring merit pay increases, tuition reimbursement and 401(k) contributions this year for its salaried workers.


Also in December, Ford announced that it was offering another round of buyouts and early retirement packages to its hourly workers. The enrollment period for those buyouts ended Friday.


“We are outraged that after UAW members have sacrificed so much to keep Ford viable that Ford would so irresponsibly violate the terms of the letters of understanding,” in the 2007 labor agreement, Caruso said in his email.


Ford’s hourly workers have given up pay, benefits and other concessions in recent years and Ford has recently started to gain market share. Ford earned a $1.8 billion profit during the first nine months of 2009 and is set to report its full-year results next Thursday.


“The membership is extremely disappointed,” with the salaried employee pay increases, said Nick Kottalis, president and chairman of UAW Local 600’s Dearborn Truck unit. “It is through their effort that the company is making money.”


Ford today declined to comment on the number of workers who accepted the buyouts or on the UAW’s plans to file grievances against the company. A UAW spokeswoman did not return a phone call or an email.


General Motors, in September, also restored salaried workers pay cuts, and, in October, resumed its 401(k) match of as much as 4% after suspending it in November 2008. That’s when GM’s finances, and the U.S. economy, began to dramatically deteriorate.



Contact BRENT SNAVELY : 313-222-6512 or [e-mail]

[tonyp]

BS!!!

[justaworker]

i'm not mad at ford for this anymore. i expect them to try to screw us in any way possible. i'm upset with the union for selling us all the givebacks in the first place, its on them. i ran out of sub weeks a few weeks back....because of the givebacks they sold us. very poor leadership.