DETROIT — UAW President Ray Curry stated restoring the cost-of-living adjustment for the Detroit 3 staff it represents might be among the many union’s prime priorities on this yr’s contract negotiations.
Curry, talking to reporters Monday at a Ford battery plant announcement, stated bringing again the automated COLA raises that the union gave up forward of the Great Recession is among the prime requests from members in resolutions being despatched to the International Executive Board because the UAW develops its bargaining priorities. UAW-represented John Deere staff have been capable of restore the COLA to their most up-to-date contract in late 2021 after a strike.
“We keep hearing about it repeatedly,” Curry stated. “If we’re in inflationary times, it adjusts and makes sure [workers] have some type of benefit that moves their base wage in conjunction with what’s happening in the economy. It can be a good piece for us.”
Curry stated he would not consider General Motors, Ford or Stellantis intend to shut any vegetation in the course of the upcoming contract cycle and nonetheless hopes to barter a future for the Jeep plant in Belvidere, Ill., which Stellantis plans to indefinitely idle on the finish of this month, earlier than formal talks start round Labor Day.
“We don’t want to see it become something that’s part of the negotiations,” he stated. “We want to see it as something that’s owed to the community for a plant that was built back in ’65.”
Both GM and Ford have indicated they intend to ramp up cost-cutting efforts this yr, however Curry stated his bargaining groups intend to remind the automakers they’ve had extremely worthwhile years regardless of the coronavirus pandemic, microchip scarcity and different challenges.
“They still met the mark and increased profits,” he stated. “We believe the conversations can be good and address the real demands our memberships are putting in.”
Curry, nevertheless, would possibly now not be in control of the union by the point talks start. He faces a runoff election in his bid to be reelected as president that might be determined within the coming weeks.
He stated he is “expecting to continue leading the organization.”
If Curry is reelected, he’ll have a divided govt board with various reform-minded members who managed to unseat veteran union leaders. Margaret Mock, the newly elected secretary-treasurer, is actively campaigning in opposition to Curry.
“Since I was sworn in this past December, it has become even clearer to me how important it is that we elect a new president,” Mock stated in an announcement launched Monday by the marketing campaign of Curry’s challenger, Shawn Fain. “The president has the final say over staff appointments. And let me tell you, the current leadership is improperly putting all kinds of people in — and not based on their qualifications.”
Curry on Monday stated he can nonetheless successfully work with a divided board.
“We want to represent the membership regardless of who’s sitting beside me in the board room,” he stated. “Regardless of what their political thoughts might be outside that room, inside that room it’s for the 1.1 million active and retired members. That’s our key goal.”
Source: www.autonews.com