Corvette Assembly Plant Workers Reject Local Labor Contract, Strike Authorized

By
Mitch Talley
-
23
20902

Corvette Assembly Plant Workers Reject Local Labor Contract, Strike Authorized

Photo Credit: Keith Cornett


While the new mid-engine Corvette Stingray has been an overwhelming hit around the world, the men and women who build the new C8 Corvette for Chevy are saying, don’t forget about us!

Overcoming just about every imaginable obstacle placed in their path, including a labor strike, global pandemic, supply-chain issues, and even a tornado, these workers have nevertheless managed to produce tens of thousands of 2020-22 Corvettes at the Bowling Green, Kentucky assembly plant.

Since 2019, however, members of UAW Local 2164 in Bowling Green have been operating without a local contract, and last week they sent a strong message to management by rejecting an offer they say still doesn’t address many of their ongoing concerns. In fact, 98 percent of Bowling Green production workers and 97 percent of its skilled trades workers turned down the offer from plant management.

“We pretty much knew what the outcome would be,” Jason Watson, shop chairman for Local 2164, told the Bowling Green Daily News. “It’s disappointing that the company doesn’t take into consideration what the hourly workers are asking for in improvements.”

Those concerns include sanitation and health and safety, as well as a commitment from General Motors to use UAW members, when possible, for contracted tasks like 3-D printing, maintenance work, and striping.

Local 2164 President Brian Ferrett says outsourcing tasks to non-union workers is a big concern for union workers who have been transferred to Bowling Green after closure or downsizing of other GM plants.

With the eighth-generation Corvette earning significant accolades since beginning production in late 2019, Ferrett believes workers who actually assemble the car should benefit by receiving some guarantees about their future.

“We always request a guarantee, but it’s not there yet,” he said. “Over the last 20 years all GM has pushed for and achieved in most cases is for a third party to do our work at a lower wage.”

The union’s recent rejection of the latest offer holds no immediate ramifications, but Watson says a strike is not out of the question eventually if the issues can’t be resolved.

“Our membership has approved a strike authorization, but there is a process that must go through (UAW) Region 8 and the national union,” he said.

In the meanwhile, Watson says the union’s bargaining committee will continue to gather membership concerns as well as continue to have meetings with management and attempt to continue negotiations.

Enthusiasts should know that Corvette plant management is willing to continue these talks, as indicated in this statement:

“We are disappointed that UAW Local 2164 voted down the local contract. We will continue to meet with the local union to understand the vote and will continue to negotiate. Our goal is to reach an agreement that benefits employees and positions our business to be competitive as we move forward.”


Source:
Bowling Green Daily News

Related:
[VIDEO] Corvette Assembly Plant Resumes Operations as UAW Returns to Work
The Strike is Over as UAW Members Agree to New Four Year Labor Deal with GM
GM Strike Hits the 2020 Corvette as the First Week of Production is Pushed Back to Mid-January

 



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23 COMMENTS

  2. Hmmmmmm! The employees worked without a contract since 2019. And now the union takes a vote and the employees vote to strike! Makes one wonder what the union has actually done for them the past few years. Surely they know there are millions of unemployed folks who would take their $25+ hourly wage plus benefits.

  3. The more the union can get in wages means that the workers will pay more in union dues so that union management can have more to spend on themselves. Unions are generally a self serving bunch of assholes at workers expense.

  4. Those union pukes have nothing to do with the success of Corvette. The designers and engineers shaped the Car to be mass produced on an assembly line by laborers without a union needed. GM’s terrible labor deals weigh the company down and limit progress at every turn.

  5. DT , $25 hr is only $52K , GM has people getting paid lotts more than that , To Not Work ! plus bennies….. like Tom Petty said, ‘the waiting is the hardest part’ and a strike will only make the ride Sweeter bc the wait will be ‘even’ longer if you are ” On the List ” enuf……:-)

  6. Let the union cry-babies strike, then do what President Reagan did to the air traffic controllers when they got pushy. He fired them all and hired people that were happy to make what the ATC’s were making. And no, there were no crashes while the new people were being trained. The C8 seems to be cursed. I feel sorry for GM; they’re trying real hard to get a quality product out to their customers and just after setting a record for daily production, now this. I really hate unions telling companies big and small how to run their business and what to pay their employees. If you don’t like what you’re paid, go find another job.

  7. And the workers want “a commitment from General Motors to use UAW members, when possible, for contracted tasks like 3-D printing, maintenance work, and striping.” I wonder how many dollars those union benefits would add to the cost of a new GM vehicle.

  9. I USED TO WORK FOR CHEVY, VAN NUYS PLANT CALIF, #251035 61 to 69 . THE UNION HAS NEVER GIVEN THE COMPLETE STORY 1. free uniforms 2. 11 paid holidays 3. 1 month jury duty 4. 1 month vacation . 5. 2 weeks army summer camp. 6. sick leave 2 weeks. 7. free parking. 8 .time & HALF after 8 hrs. 9. double overtime for holiday’s. 10. 2nd & 3rd shift premiums. 11.enployee discount on all new CHEVY. TRKs. & CARS. & PARTS. & that was in 1961 to 1969, so don’t let the union hand the CORVETTE MGM. A TIN CUP.

  10. Hey scabs and anti union! Who do you think got your 40 hr work weeks who got your benefits for you instead of running off with the mouth like a baby diaper over flowing with poop if it wasn’t for the unions you would be to busy at work to write your stupid comments haha even this web sight sensors what I say

  12. A union is he best thing that ever happen to me if only for health and safety reasons. I worked with 345 KVA [voltage] on down to 12.5 KVA and you can’t believe all the safety concerns the company wanted to by pass to get a job done early. As long as OHSA didn’t find out.
    The unions in the pass have gotten the 40 hour work week and laws passed against child labor. Plus many other health and safety factors. Now that there are less unions the middle class is shrinking. I would guess if there was to be no middle class there would be no reason to continue to build Vettes.
    At $25 an hour none of the plant workers could afford the product they build. I doubt that labor is the main reason for the high cost of the Vette. There is a reason auto manufactures keep it a big secret what it costs to build a car.
    Now you can proceed with the hate mail. LOL

  13. GM CEO Mary Barra gets $20 Million Dollar Bonuses… simply because she’s an incredible Actress/Liar…

    Maybe its time to either pay workers appropriate wages or shut GM down.

  18. My union did NOTHING FOR ME here in CA!! I am honest and they fought for criminals but not me. Screw unions, they are frauds and poison.

  19. THEY GOT A CONTRACT IN 2019 AFTER 40 DAYS ON STRIKE, AND A SIGNING BONUS OF $10,000. GM LOST 2.1 BILLION.
    THEY GOT THE TEAMSTERS UNION ON THEIR SIDE TO STOP DELIVERING CARS AND PARTS TO ALL THE DEALERS.
    IN 2021 GM LOST A LOT OF SALES WITH COVID SHUT DOWN AND PARTS SHORTAGES CAUSING MANY SHUT DOWNS.
    BUT THE UNION DOESN’T CARE, AND CUSTOMERS WILL BLAME GM WHEN THEY DON’T GET
    THEIR CORVETTE ON TIME.
    HERE WE GO AGAIN.

  20. These people are working their butts off in this Biden economy with just transitory inflation. Sure while the 1% keep getting richer from the money printing presses, middle class america is almost gone.

  21. It’s a difficult job, they should earn a livable wage. I don’t understand the hatred of unions. Without unions 40hr weeks, benefits, insurance and retirement wouldn’t exist for a blue collar worker. The white collar non-union employees benefit from the contracts that the union employee agree to. When the line people get a raise the office employees get a raise. It’s a win for the middle class employees

  22. I’m only gonna say one thing ! If you don’t like it go work somewhere else . Maybe put you own investment and build your own car . Unions have made this mess and we have China holding us hostage . Example ; chips for all cars. By the way that was more than one thing I said I was gonna say .

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