End Two Tier Wages, Benefits and Pensions,
Re-Establish Equal Pay for Equal Work
Whereas our union is in crisis—we desperately need an open and honest debate about the long-standing, unresolved
problems confronting us, and what we need to do to move forward, not backward
Whereas exemplifying this crisis are the concessionary contracts that have become the rule rather than the exception
in UAW negotiating strategy. The most recent round of concessions at the General Motors, Ford and Chrysler took
away COLA, break time, a holiday, education benefits, overtime after eight hours, bonuses that we agreed to in place
of wage increases and the jobs bank, and “severely hurt working conditions”, . In addition the VEBA—a flawed plan
to begin with accepted the advice of Wall St. financial analysts—is in danger of collapse. GM and Chrysler workers
were even stripped of the right to strike. These huge givebacks erased the gains of decades of struggle. If
unchallenged, the companies will keep squeezing the workers for more; the UAW has essentially partnered with our
employers in the “race to the bottom.”
Whereas many UAW contracts now have a two-tier wage structure and the UAW has allowed and even encouraged
companies to engage in the practice of whipsawing—pitting one local against another to squeeze both for more
concessions. Nothing divides a union membership like contractually creating a second class of membership. Through
the two-tiered wage and whipsawing the companies are stealing from our children and grandchildren.
Whereas while concessions have been presented as necessary to preserve jobs, this strategy has proven to be an
utter failure. The UAW, which peaked in 1979 at 1.5 million, now hovers around 400,000. A 30-yr strategy of
“jointness” with management has not stopped the decline of our membership in the Big 3 from over 600,000
members to just over 100,000 today; on the contrary the UAW has accepted huge job losses as a necessary sacrifice
to save the companies from a crisis of their own making. In addition, concessions have a stifling effect on organizing;
the UAW has been unable to organize even one foreign-owned transplant in the past quarter century, leaving us
vulnerable to the erosion of all our past gains.
Whereas a resource for developing leaflets against 2-tier is available at the Center for Labor Renewal. (See
Statement & Call for the Elimination of Two-Tier Workplaces:
http://www.centerforlaborrenewal.org/?P=A&Category_ID=25)
Therefore be it resolved that this International Union will stand united in solidarity to eliminate the two-tier wage,
benefit, pension and temporary worker structure, demanding in negotiations equal wages for equal work and a
bridge to bring the inferior wages, benefits, and pensions up to the traditional wages, benefits, and pensions in line
with Article 19, Sect. 6 of the UAW Constitution, which states: “The International Executive Board shall protect all
Local Unions who have succeeded in establishing higher wages and favorable conditions and have superior
agreements, so that no infringement by Local Unions with inferior agreements in workplaces doing similar work may
be committed against the Local Union with the advanced agreements.”
Be it further resolved that any cut in pay and benefits to the rank and file, triggers an equal cut in pay and benefits to
all international officers and representatives.
Be it further resolved that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 35th UAW Bargaining
Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, in spring, 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved that the local union transmit this resolution to all UAW locals and Retiree Chapters in their
Region and Sub Councils urging its adoption.
Restore Full Retiree Health Care Benefits, and Restore Pensions
with COLA
Whereas UAW retirees in the Big 3 witnessed the stripping of contractual agreements regarding their health care with
the introduction of the VEBA (before the GM and Chrysler bankruptcy restructurings), without a vote of consent of
said retirees;
Whereas the recent passage of the health care bill faced massive opposition by insurance, medical and
pharmaceutical companies and their paid lobbyists and front groups such as the “Tea Party,” we are nevertheless a
long way from the Single Payer – Medicare for All – Health Care historically advocated by the UAW,
Whereas, pensions givebacks took place in last negotiations and COLA was never achieved,
Therefore be it resolved that all previous medical benefits including eye and dental coverage which retirees fought for
while they were active workers be restored for retirees; and
Be it resolved that the needs of retirees across the US be guaranteed in the proceedings of UAW Bargaining
Convention in all matters of direct effect on their lives, and
Be it resolved that all pension givebacks be restored with the addition of COLA.
Resolution to Defend the Right to a Job
Whereas decades of plant closings, mass layoffs and attrition have reduced the ranks of
active UAW members to less than 500,000
Whereas the number of active UAW employees at General Motors, Ford, and Chrysler
stands at roughly 100,000 and continues to fall
Whereas in the past few decades worker productivity has continued to improve dramatically
while real wages have stagnated or fallen
Whereas these companies, driven only by pursuit of profit, plan to close still more plants in
the next few years
Whereas the constant fear of plant closings has been exploited to extract huge concessions
from our membership, costing us our COLA, the jobs bank, health benefits, annual pay
increases, bonuses, holidays, break time, and even the eight hour day—things won through
over seven decades of struggle
Whereas the crisis in the automotive industry is part of the worst crisis of unemployment,
underemployment and falling wages since the Great Depression, causing huge numbers of
people to lose their homes and go without heat, water and light
Whereas employers have been able to exploit the fear of job loss to illegally intimidate
workers seeking to organize unions, and to do so without impunity
Whereas our union’s early leaders advanced the righteous notion that a worker has a
PROPERTY RIGHT to his or her job
Whereas the right to a job is a recognized human right under the UN Charter on Human
Rights
Whereas the money exists, as evidenced by the banker/corporate bailouts and the bloated
military budget, to provide a job to every worker willing and able to work
And whereas the combination of crises of global warming, peak oil (depleted supply of fossil
fuels and corresponding huge price increases), the wasteful closing and idling of numerous
productive plants and massive manufacturing unemployment cries out for a new UAW
vision of sustainability for the planet, the country and our union.
Be it therefore resolved that this union will commit major resources to fighting at the
bargaining table for a program of economic recovery around the following demands:
1.
An immediate moratorium on all plant and other workplace closings and mass layoffs
2.
The insistence that private and public sector employers abide by the language of the 1978
Full Employment Act, which recognized “the right of all adult Americans able, willing, and
seeking to work to full opportunity for useful paid employment at fair rates of compensation,”
3.
The reopening of our closed plants under worker-community control, and the
implementation of a massive retooling comparable to that which occurred during World War
II, to allow the reopened plants to support a new industrial policy based on renewable - nonfossil - energy use (including wind and hydraulic turbines, solar panels, etc) and the rapid
expansion of a national public transportation network (including busses, light and high
speed rail), thus increasing employment for our members and our communities.
4.
A 30 hour workweek with no reduction in pay, which was one of the eight demands of the
1937 Flint Sit-Down and is needed more than ever today
that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 35th UAW Bargaining
Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, in spring, 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved that the Local Union transmit this resolution to all UAW Locals and
Retiree Chapters in our Region and Sub Councils urging its adoption.
Full Disclosure of Contract, Adequate Time for Consideration, and Fair
Ratification Procedures
Whereas contracts have a tremendous effect on our lives and our working lives, and
Whereas members need time to read, discuss and think about contract proposals that they
will live under for a period of years, and
Whereas in the past members have been told that contracts provided job security when in
fact those contracts did not save jobs and contained numerous loopholes, and
Whereas now more than ever the fine print counts, and
Whereas technology permits easy dissemination of contract language through the Internet,
and
Whereas a lack of uniformity and lack of control over the balloting process makes the result
of any ratification suspect, especially when the vote is close;
Whereas some UAW locals already use the procedures they use for local union elections
when they conduct contract ratification votes;
And whereas the Public Review Board on several occasions (PRB cases 510 and 513,
1969; and PRB case 1255, 1999) has urged the UAW to amend its Constitution so as to
provide standard and secure procedures for contract ratification votes;
Therefore be it resolved that no UAW contract will be submitted for a vote until the entire
proposed contract has been available to members in electronic and printed form for a
minimum of ten days, and
Be it resolved that any contract summary produced by the union must include all significant
changes in contract language, including those changes that could be detrimental to the
members, and
Be it resolved that any subsequent memorandum or agreement that modifies the UAW
contract be submitted to a separate vote, and
Be it resolved that procedures be established which include proper notification; the
verification of eligibility to vote; the same careful numbering or other control over the ballots
required of local union elections; the right for supporters of ratification as well as opponents
to have challengers during the voting and counting of ballots; and the securing of ballots
before the count and preservation of them afterwards, and
Be it resolved that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 35th UAW
Bargaining Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, in spring, 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved that the Local Union transmit this resolution to all UAW Locals and
Retiree Chapters in our Region and Sub Councils urging its adoption.
Maintain Pattern Agreement at Ford and the Right to Strike
WHEREAS: The objective of the union is to take labor out of competition,
WHEREAS: Under Article 19, Sect. 6 of the UAW Constitution, which states: “The
International Executive Board shall protect all Local Unions who have succeeded in
establishing higher wages and favorable conditions and have superior agreements, so that
no infringement by Local Unions with inferior agreements in workplaces doing similar work
may be committed against the Local Union with the advanced agreements.”
WHEREAS: Striking would be a violation of the GM and Chrysler Contracts, the companies
many times over don’t honor the contracts either.
WHEREAS: It would be a violation of the Loan Servicing Agreement to strike at GM and
Chrysler, that agreement is between the companies and the Government and therefore
does not concern us.
WHEREAS: The Wagner Act states we have the right to engage in "concerted activities"
and therefore provides the possibility for a creative legal strategy.
WHEREAS: We should always feel that the right to strike belongs to us--and that to impose
any limitations on that right is illegitimate and one could argue illegal.
WHEREAS: Outsourcing, subcontracting, whipsawing, moving plants and plant closings are
all methods of undermining the job security of our members; and
WHEREAS: Many of our jobs are being transferred to the lower-wage unorganized auto
parts industry; and
WHEREAS: The additional job protection clauses in our earlier contracts may have helped
in the settlement of some grievances, but they have not protected our jobs. This can be
seen in our declining membership. In the 1950s nearly 800,000 auto workers used to
produce 9,000,000 cars. In 2005 only 400,000 auto workers produced 17,500,000 cars; and
WHEREAS: The sale by General Motors Company of Delphi, Fisher Guide and AAM and
the Ford Motor Company of Visteon--their auto parts manufacturing divisions--created the
largest outsourcing of jobs in our union's history. This has thrown more than 100,000 union
members into the job insecurity of the auto parts supplier companies' struggle for "Big
Three" auto parts work.
Therefore be it resolved that "Big Three" pattern conditions be protected in the coming
contract negotiations including all the spin offs, with Ford Motor Company as the target.
Be it further resolved that the right to strike including over unresolved grievances on
outsourcing and subcontracting violations be maintained and authorized during the life of
this contract.
Be it further resolved that the right to strike be protected and expanded to include on the job
protection issues.
Be it further resolved that the national agreement not be settled until all local agreements
are settled.
Be it further resolved that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 35th
UAW Bargaining Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, in spring, 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved that the Local Union transmit this resolution to all UAW Locals and
Retiree Chapters in our Region and Sub Councils urging its adoption.
End Jointness Appointment Patronage
Whereas, this once great union is in crisis. The UAW lost 65,807 members in 2005 and the
portion of the auto industry that is organized is dropping at an incredible rate,
Whereas, we understand that as the industry becomes unorganized, it greatly undermines
our ability to maintain our wages and conditions in the organized sectors;
Whereas, when the union gives concessions and grants 2-tier, members feel the union no
longer defends them against the employers offensive and that the union leadership has lost
touch with the membership;
Whereas, new organizing can only be a success when the UAW stops making concessions
and makes it clear that unionism is about standing firm in solidarity with dignity and selfrespect on the job, as well as defending wages and benefits;
Whereas, the union has failed to mobilize our own membership, other unionists, and
community supporters, to support our members and locals on the front-line struggles;
Whereas, it is not possible to mobilize members against corporations in politics while we
declare the same corporations our partners in the workplace.
Resolved that
1. The UAW will seek an end to all jointness programs and use the members by
increasing the number of regular seniority jobs devoted to improving quality and working
conditions;
2. The UAW will seek to find ways that our members can exercise union solidarity at
work in the handling of parts and services from suppliers;
3. The UAW will seek to rebuild itself based on the principles of full involvement of
members and democratic elections and other procedures and wipe out the culture of
appointment patronage.
Be it resolved that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the 35th UAW
Bargaining Convention to be held in Detroit, Michigan, in spring, 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved that the Local Union transmit this resolution to all UAW Locals and
Retiree Chapters in our Region and Sub Councils urging its adoption.
Resolution for Equal Benefits
Whereas
Bargaining for benefits has for decades been conducted with the aim of covering not only our members but our
members’ families
Whereas
The UAW’s commitment to equal rights for all is part of our proud history
Whereas
A big step forward was the 2000 Memorandum of Understanding granting health benefits to same-sex domestic
partners of active members
Whereas
Despite this step forward a two-tier structure of benefits exists for members in committed same-sex relationships and
in unmarried heterosexual relationships. This includes:
1.
Denial of domestic partner benefits to retirees
2.
Lack of bereavement leave, FMLA leave, surviving spouse pension benefits and other benefits granted
to heterosexual spouses and their children
3.
Non-recognition of same-sex marriage licenses obtained by members in states or countries where such
marriages are legally performed
Be it therefore resolved
That the UAW will demand full equality in access to benefits for all of our members
Be it resolved that this resolution be adopted by a vote of the delegates at the UAW Bargaining Convention to be held
in Detroit, Michigan, in 2011, and
Finally, be it resolved
That the Local Union transmit this resolution to all UAW Locals and Retiree Chapters in our Region and Subcouncil
urging its adoption.
Corporate Seniority
Whereas the 1-07-1987 in-plant seniority date for plant transfers
was a compromise meant to eventually lead to the corporate
seniority date being the same as the in-plant seniority date,
Whereas the principle has not been continued across the board and
there are workers with 1-07-1987 seniority or later who have a
different date for in-plant seniority than their corporate
seniority date.
Therefore be it resolved that corporate seniority for in-plant
transfers for all workers with seniority later than 1-07-1987 be
negotiated.