OT: Striking Auto Workers, 20 Years Ago

When we look at the auto industry, we often think about plants on strike. But it's not always the UAW out front in these actions, as this report from 1988 shows:
Auto Workers Strike, Take Hostages

They have had a long history of strikes. Daewoo had some big stikes in the late 90's - the workers took over the factories and fought off troops. I think they occupied one factory for a year. I read recently of some riots in China - factories shutting down and the worker's are rioting fighting with the authorities, plants are shutting down due to the recession here. Interesting times.

Sounds a lot like Kia (partly owned by Hyundai).

I am from Canada and was self employed with 5-10 employees at all times. We were non union but I still think we were priced out of the competion. I wear a $14.95 timex watch made god knows where but if we made it in Canada or the U.S. of A. it would be a $500.00 rolex. Unions had their place but now who first crys dead and wants to ??? the working joe.

I have watched for years the labor movement and I have come to the conclusion that if it wasent for the unions the non union workers would be making nothing and getting no benefits at all.I think the unions are what made the employers give vacations, raises, health benefits and pensions to their workers. Ever notice how during a strike the bosses all moan and groan about the workers wages and benefits but as soon as a new contract is signed the company will issue a news release praising their dedicated hard workers.All workers should join a union.

Right on Brother!!

northener,

I wonder how it would work out if all of the employers in a town / county / state formed an employers union. They could "negotiate" wages, working conditions, benefits, etc. If any of the employees didn't like it, the employers union could just shut down the companies that they chose to shut down until all of the workers in all of the companies agreed to work for the "negotiated" rates.

Somehow, coercion has never seemed like negotiation to me.

Tom in TN

Sounds like a typical employer talking. When you use the word bargin doesnt that mean both parties must compromise. Just because you own the company doesnt mean you own the worker? Didnt your famous john lewis use child workers in his coal mines.What kind of humanity do you call that?

>I think the unions are what made the employers
>give vacations, raises, health benefits and
>pensions to their workers.

That's an over simplification.

Doesn't mean it's entirely untrue, but it does mean those gains aren't necessarily soley the factor of unionized labor.

Henry Ford introduced high wages (1914), 48 hour work week (1922) and the 40 work week (1926) in response to high employee turnover that was impacting the efficiency of his assembly lines.

UAW didn't have a Ford charter until 1937.

That improvements in areas of child welfare, working conditions, and pay coincided with unions is not evidence of causality. The efforts of the unions were only one factor.

For example, society had already started elevating the children during the Victorian period (as infant and childhood mortality started to fall). As we valued life more, as everyday and common deaths decreased, I believe we would have seen child labor reforms irregardless of unionism.

While Unions did bargain for insurance, another at least as strong if not stronger driver of employer sponsored health care was the wage freezes imposed by Roosevelt -- unable to compete on pay, employers started to use benefits health insurance to attract and retain workers.

Unions can play a beneficial role. However, too often they do exactly what too many corporations do today -- focus on short term gains at the expense of long term prosperity.

Unions have their place personally I don't care for them in these modern times we have OSHA and many other government agencies that make sure things are safe and equal opportunity. Many times in the union I was around the people were just looking for a way to get something for nothing or put a hurt on the company. when the union was displaced things seemed to go better. The last job I had had paid vacation, holidays, and ins. benefits even bonuses on a non schedule when he could kind of decision. when you have people that are trying to improve their quality of life through hard dedicated work they should be rewarded not just given to everyone as a whole then the ones that aren't worth keeping will move on. Just because he or she can get more $ no matter how well their job performance is to me is ridiculous good work = good pay and treatment bad work = no job. I saw the union I was around save many people's job that laid out regularly and had poor job performance but because they paid their dues to the union they were saved through threats.

(quoted from post at 19:18:20 12/06/08) I have watched for years the labor movement and I have come to the conclusion that if it wasent for the unions the non union workers would be making nothing and getting no benefits at all.I think the unions are what made the employers give vacations, raises, health benefits and pensions to their workers. Ever notice how during a strike the bosses all moan and groan about the workers wages and benefits but as soon as a new contract is signed the company will issue a news release praising their dedicated hard workers.All workers should join a union.

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orthener I agree 100%.I have been in the union for 32 plus years (IBEW)as a electric lineman.I wonder how many of the union bashers on this board have reaped the benefits from union contracts(work place saftey,sick days,health care,paid vacation days,paid holidays)and so on?Wake up folks before you are making $5.00 an hour and live in a box :x

Interestingly enough, there are examples of employer groups, some are barganing groups, some are overall industry groups that do wage surveys among their members. One example is the group of trucking companies that negotiate with the teamsters for a master contract. Employers are organized and have resources. There is a whole industry of consulting firms dedicated to fight unions. Unions have a uphill battle.

Hey Matt how about going back to the 40-50's and work in the coal mines and then say they didn't do much.... MOST COMPANIES WITHOUT RULES WILL PAY AS LITTLE AS THEY CAN.. Worked for the world's largest oil company for quite a few years, heard the superintendent say don't tear up the rig (well service rig) we can replace the men cheaper than the rig.. Would you like to work for him without rules that unions brought..





MAY GOD BLESS THE USA

I worked for a place fabbing roof trusses., We were a division of Agway. The company was known for paying a real good wage to compete with the union shops. New mangement came in did a wage survey and cut our pay better than 2 dollars an hour. That was the day I started looking for another job. If I had had a union contract I never would have quit a job I loved.

There are good unions and bad unions just like like there are good employers and bad employers. I worked in a shop that had the union come in and talk to us to see if we wanted to join. The union didn't offer anything more than we were getting. In fact less by the time you figure in you union dues. We voted against it. The plant manager however suggested that we should have our own internal employee group and elect 2 people that will represent us to negotiate wages and other issues. The plant manager was also the head of where I first started my apprenticeship. We had an internal group there that worked very well with management. Wage negotiations every 6 months and any other concerns. Unions are not the be all and end all of good working conditions. Dave