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Well the Ford / UAW proposed contract came out recently and
it appeared to be a little harder to reach than with GM because Ford workers
wanted a LOT more than GM workers got and I said that the problem would be the
fixed costs of production which cannot be increased since Ford already has the
highest fixed costs because they did NOT take a bailout.
Ford also is the only company that can legally be struck.
The contract calls for a $6,000 signing bonus which is
higher than at GM BUT workers want a raise EVEN though I am sure UAW leaders
told them they cannot have a raise because a raise raises the fixed cost of
production which is already too high.
There also are annual bonuses of $1,500 plus much larger
profit sharing checks plus job security plus raises in entry level wages (adds
to fixed cost) plus buyouts of $50,000 for production workers and $100,000 for
skilled workers plus other benefits…
But Ford workers are pissed that Mulally and Ford got the
big bucks for saving their asses and that white collar workers got some
benefits and that seemed unfair to them because they don’t seem to understand
that they just build autos, white collar workers create them and that what they
do takes a lot of investment in their education while production workers don’t
invest shit into their skill enhancement and therefore are paid accordingly or
in my mind, way too much for what they do.
Yes, many workers are grumbling but I think the majority are
just glad they have a contract and that Ford has promised to invest in their
job security and I have to believe that is the most important thing in their
contract.
Now King and his boys have to sell it to the rank and file
and I am pretty sure they will because there is no other way…
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