guionM
09-04-2002, 02:29 PM
It doesn't support the "exclusive Camaro production" urban legends posted here, but it easily shows the mess the CAW (especially with charges of leaving Ste. Therse out to dry) is really in:
American carmakers face possible work stoppages — or bigger payouts to Canada’s labor.
by Joseph Szczesny 9/3/2002
The Canadian Auto Workers are planning to pick a strike target this week — and the once-safe assumption that the target will be the Ford Motor Co. now appears to be uncertain.
In early August, Buzz Hargrove, the CAW's president, had told several people, including members of the United Auto Workers executive board, that he believed Ford would be the union's ultimate target this year. Ford's announcement in January that it planned to close its Ontario truck plant had seriously undercut the automaker's relationship with the Canadian union and the CAW had vowed to get even during the contract talks this fall.
Last week, however, after the union had resumed talks in earnest with Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, Hargrove backtracked slightly and began hinting that Ford might not be the union's first target this year after all.
"We don't have any favorites," Hargrove said.
The final decision on which company to strike first will be made later this week, he said.
General anticipation
The CAW president's comments underscored the pressure inside the union to make General Motors of Canada its first target this year.
Hargrove is facing a revolt in the CAW's own ranks over the handling of the shutdown of the General Motors assembly plant in Ste. Therese, Quebec. As the Ste. Therese plant built its last Camaros and Firebirds last week, some workers complained bitterly that the CAW had not raised enough hell to try and prevent the shutdown — and perhaps even more damaging, hadn't done enough for its French-speaking members.
The complaints were broadcast all over Canada, putting extra pressure on Hargrove to address the revolt over Ste. Therese.
Hargrove insists the CAW has done everything it could to save the 33-year-old Ste. Therese plant. But since it split from the UAW in 1984, the CAW has grown into a broad confederation representing workers from several different industries and government workers throughout Canada. The union's leadership is ever mindful of the political tensions between French-speaking and English-speaking Canada.
The CAW's contracts with GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler expire at midnight on Sept. 17. Over the weekend, CAW members endorsed strikes against all three automakers if negotiators decide a walkout is necessary for winning an acceptable contract.
The ripple effects from any strike in Canada would quickly be felt in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. The impact would be particularly hard on Ford, however, because the Windsor engine plant builds V-8 engines for a variety of Ford vehicles. A strike at GM would cut off production of transmissions as well as pickup trucks that are now in short supply.
Progress in pieces
Hargrove said negotiations with all three companies had made better than expected progress this summer. The pace of local negotiations has been very brisk, he added: "It appears the companies are making an effort to take care of the local negotiations, and that's a positive sign."
"But talk is cheap. It takes money to buy whiskey," said Hargrove, who noted none of the three automakers has addressed the union's concerns about future investments in Canadian plants.
The CAW's last strike was a 22-day walkout against General Motors in 1996.
"The talks have been cordial, but slow," added Hargrove, who said critical issues have yet to be addressed by the negotiators.
Officials from GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler also reported the talks so far this summer had gone well.
Stewart Low, spokesman for GM of Canada, said up until now, the talks have involved fairly routine discussions at the subcommittee level. However, Kerry Kerr, a spokeswoman for Chrysler of Canada, said the talks won't move into the next phase until the union picks a target.
"We would welcome a chance to pattern an agreement just as we did in 1999," said John Amone, a spokesman for Ford of Canada, who added that Ford expected to reach a settlement without any kind of work interruptions.
American carmakers face possible work stoppages — or bigger payouts to Canada’s labor.
by Joseph Szczesny 9/3/2002
The Canadian Auto Workers are planning to pick a strike target this week — and the once-safe assumption that the target will be the Ford Motor Co. now appears to be uncertain.
In early August, Buzz Hargrove, the CAW's president, had told several people, including members of the United Auto Workers executive board, that he believed Ford would be the union's ultimate target this year. Ford's announcement in January that it planned to close its Ontario truck plant had seriously undercut the automaker's relationship with the Canadian union and the CAW had vowed to get even during the contract talks this fall.
Last week, however, after the union had resumed talks in earnest with Ford, General Motors and DaimlerChrysler, Hargrove backtracked slightly and began hinting that Ford might not be the union's first target this year after all.
"We don't have any favorites," Hargrove said.
The final decision on which company to strike first will be made later this week, he said.
General anticipation
The CAW president's comments underscored the pressure inside the union to make General Motors of Canada its first target this year.
Hargrove is facing a revolt in the CAW's own ranks over the handling of the shutdown of the General Motors assembly plant in Ste. Therese, Quebec. As the Ste. Therese plant built its last Camaros and Firebirds last week, some workers complained bitterly that the CAW had not raised enough hell to try and prevent the shutdown — and perhaps even more damaging, hadn't done enough for its French-speaking members.
The complaints were broadcast all over Canada, putting extra pressure on Hargrove to address the revolt over Ste. Therese.
Hargrove insists the CAW has done everything it could to save the 33-year-old Ste. Therese plant. But since it split from the UAW in 1984, the CAW has grown into a broad confederation representing workers from several different industries and government workers throughout Canada. The union's leadership is ever mindful of the political tensions between French-speaking and English-speaking Canada.
The CAW's contracts with GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler expire at midnight on Sept. 17. Over the weekend, CAW members endorsed strikes against all three automakers if negotiators decide a walkout is necessary for winning an acceptable contract.
The ripple effects from any strike in Canada would quickly be felt in the United States, particularly in the Midwest. The impact would be particularly hard on Ford, however, because the Windsor engine plant builds V-8 engines for a variety of Ford vehicles. A strike at GM would cut off production of transmissions as well as pickup trucks that are now in short supply.
Progress in pieces
Hargrove said negotiations with all three companies had made better than expected progress this summer. The pace of local negotiations has been very brisk, he added: "It appears the companies are making an effort to take care of the local negotiations, and that's a positive sign."
"But talk is cheap. It takes money to buy whiskey," said Hargrove, who noted none of the three automakers has addressed the union's concerns about future investments in Canadian plants.
The CAW's last strike was a 22-day walkout against General Motors in 1996.
"The talks have been cordial, but slow," added Hargrove, who said critical issues have yet to be addressed by the negotiators.
Officials from GM, Ford and DaimlerChrysler also reported the talks so far this summer had gone well.
Stewart Low, spokesman for GM of Canada, said up until now, the talks have involved fairly routine discussions at the subcommittee level. However, Kerry Kerr, a spokeswoman for Chrysler of Canada, said the talks won't move into the next phase until the union picks a target.
"We would welcome a chance to pattern an agreement just as we did in 1999," said John Amone, a spokesman for Ford of Canada, who added that Ford expected to reach a settlement without any kind of work interruptions.