GM Chairman and CEO Dan
Akerson (left) and United Auto Workers President Bob King,
marking the ceremonial start of labor negotiations between
GM and the UAW Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at the
Detroit-Hamtramck Assembly Plant in Detroit, Michigan.
(Photo by HB Meeks/Tell Us Detroit)
UAW, GM
Kick-Off
2011
Contract
Talks
DETROIT
(Tell Us
USA) –
The
United
Auto
Workers
and
General
Motors
opened
2011
contract
talks
Wednesday
together
on the
factory
floor at
the
Detroit-Hamtramck
assembly
plant,
replacing
the
traditional
formal
handshake
with a
crowd of
plant
workers
and the
GM cars
they
build.
UAW and
GM
negotiating
teams
will
conduct
contract
talks at
the
UAW-GM
Center
for
Human
Resources.
The
current
four-year
labor
agreement
expires
on Sept.
14 at
midnight.
"We want
the new
GM to
succeed
and when
it does,
everyone
will
benefit,”
said
Chairman
and CEO
Dan
Akerson.
“We are
playing
to win,
and
we’re
counting
on our
work
force --
hourly
and
salaried
-- to
take on
the
challenges
together
and
forge
new
partnerships
as a
competitive
advantage."
UAW
President
Bob King
noted
the
importance
of
focusing
on
products.
“Our
members
bring a
lot to
any
organization
– a
commitment
to
quality
and
producing
the best
product
for the
best
price,”
King
said.
“Our
talks
will
center
on the
needs of
our
members
and the
need to
continue
to build
great
products.”
A joint
donation
of
$25,000
to the
Wounded
Warrior
Project
extended
the
ceremonial
start of
talks.
UAW Vice
President
Joe
Ashton,
who
directs
the
union's
GM
Department,
and
Cathy
Clegg,
GM vice
president
of Labor
Relations,
announced
the
contribution
and
recognized
other
charitable
partnerships
the
UAW-GM
team has
with
non-profit
organizations
across
the
country.
Following
the
announcement,
Akerson
said he
would
personally
match
the
donation.
GM also
announced
a
commitment
to
increase
the
number
of
veterans
in the
work
force as
the
company
prepares
for
hiring
new
employees.
Military
service
will be
among
factors
considered
in the
screening
process.
On May
10, GM
announced
$2
billion
of
investment
at 17
plants
in eight
states,
creating
or
retaining
about
4,000
jobs
over the
next 18
months.
“Our
work
force is
dedicated
to
producing
great
cars,
trucks
and
crossovers
every
day,”
Clegg
said.
“We’ll
be
working
with our
UAW
partners
to
ensure
our team
continues
to have
the
tools
they
need to
build
quality
products
and
share in
the
success
of the
new GM.”
Ashton
commented
on the
energy
across
the UAW
and GM
team.
“GM’s
positive
momentum
has been
outstanding,”
Ashton
said. “I
was
there
when GM
started
trading
again on
the New
York
Stock
Exchange
and I
have
participated
in many
U.S.
manufacturing
announcements.
Our
membership
plays a
critical
role in
the
success
of this
company
and I’m
proud to
represent
this
work
force.”
