RISKS VS REWARDS

[MTP WORKER]

What is the worst thing that could happen to the the majority of UAW workers if we vote YES. What is the worst thing if we vote NO, I myself think that because of the current economical factors right now that the agreement is not worth striking over. If it comes to a strike we will loes pay and the buying public will not see the NO voters side. All of the workers that I talked to that said they were voting NO is because they thought that they should of gotten a few thousand dollars more up front. If we strike any money that would of been gained will be lost and I am a bit worried how FORD will retaliate. Voting NO is gambleing with my money. This Union division only strengthens the Union Bashers cause. I wonder how much cheering will go on when the workers who voted NO realize that a strike is something that they could not afford.

Edited October 12, 2011 by sez

[TBodette68]

What is the worst thing that could happen to the the majority of UAW workers if we vote YES. What is the worst thing if we vote NO, I myself think that because of the current economical factors right now that the agreement is not worth striking over. If it comes to a strike we will loose pay and the buying public will not see the NO voters side. All of the workers that I talked to that said they were voting NO is because they thought that they should of gotten a few thousand dollars more up front. If we strike any money that would of been gained will be lost and I am a bit worried how FORD will retaliate. Voting NO is gambleing with my money. This Union division only strenghens the Union Bashers cause. I wonder how much cheering will go on when the workers who voted NO realize that a strike is something that they could not afford.

 

You have a short memory if you think Ford workers will swallow more of the same stuff they tried before on us. Vote NO ! Send them back to the table to address the issues with this contract. Cost of Living is too valuable to give up without a fight, @nd tier is not a done deal..equal pay for equal work and the retirees deserve better. If your lucky some day you will be able to retire. Vote NO !!

[MTP WORKER]

You have a short memory if you think Ford workers will swallow more of the same stuff they tried before on us. Vote NO ! Send them back to the table to address the issues with this contract. Cost of Living is too valuable to give up without a fight, @nd tier is not a done deal..equal pay for equal work and the retirees deserve better. If your lucky some day you will be able to retire. Vote NO !!

Ford Motor will not give back anything that raises the per hour wage rate. For anything that they end up giving back they will take something else away. If you have the right to get pissed off so do they and the workers that voted yes will have to suffer because of the short sighted NO voters. If this NO vote results in a financial loss for me and the other non greedy workers there will be hell to pay. The risks outway the rewards but most of the No voters do not care about the future that is why Ford Motor is where they work. People are not hired in to a factory because of how wise they are. I made some bad choices when I was younger and did not go to college( although I make more money and have better benefits then a lot them) and get a degree like most of my former classmates and I know how damn lucky I am that this company and union exist. If the IUAW say that this is the best they could of done then I will give them the benefit off the doubt. I am not taking a big pay cut and health care is still pretty much free. What other blue collar workers can say this. I am smart enough not to want to bite the hand that is feeding me food that is still pretty tastie. I think that a lot of the NO voters are company haters and this is their way to express their feelings. Like I said to me and a lot of other rational thinkers THE RISKS OF A NO VOTE OUT WEIGHS THE REWARDS!

Edited October 11, 2011 by sez

[jerrymaker]

Ford Motor will not give back anything that raises the per hour wage rate. For anything that they end up giving back they will take something else away. If you have the right to get pissed off so do they and the workers that voted yes will have to suffer because of the short sighted NO voters. If this NO vote results in a financial loss for me and the other non greedy workers there will be hell to pay. The risks outway the rewards but most of the No voters do not care about the future that is why Ford Motor is where they work. People are not hired in to a factory because of how wise they are. I made some bad choices when I was younger and did not go to college( although I make more money and have better benefits then a lot them) and get a degree like most of my former classmates and I know how damn lucky I am that this company and union exist. If the IUAW say that this is the best they could of done then I will give them the benefit off the doubt. I am not taking a big pay cut and health care is still pretty much free. What other blue collar workers can say this. I am smart enough not to want to bite the hand that is feeding me food that is still pretty tastie. I think that a lot of the NO voters are company haters and this is their way to express their feelings. Like I said to me and a lot of other rational thinkers THE RISKS OF A NO VOTE OUT WEIGHS THE REWARDS!

i think you have it backwards the NO voters have it right, the yes voters ($6000.00) are thinking about ME ME ME! if they did that back in the old days YOU would not even be working at ford!

[bustedknuckles]

I don't have any real issues with most of the contract. My only real bitch is why do they need to pick on trades again? We're not asking for a raise just to keep doing our jobs. But the company and the union want these mechanical teams so that they can cut 1/3 to 2/3 of us.How is that necessary when we're not costing anymore money than we already did? I understand the wage rate and staying competitive but honestly this is a joke. They think that we're stupid and believe that any savings do to efficiencys will not translate to immediate layoffs. The worst part is that we as trades don't even have a real vote . If every trades person company wide said no production can still pass it. I really wish we all had equal representation with the union . This all just gives me nausea .

[Fatso]

The worst thing that happens is that Ford Motor takes back all the investments they were planning to make in the USA.I dont see it as "They were going to do that anyways".I see it as,if we okay this contract,then they will agree to large investments.I am still thinking a rising tide lifts all ships and I am voting YES for what I see as whats best for all not just what do I get.I work at one of the hardest,strictest assembly plants in the system,the freakin Rouge.People get written up for leaving one minute early {whos watch is the standard for one minute?}there is no mid-night shift premium for trades,forget training,wait three months for a roll of tape.Training for electricians?Make me laugh,I am suppose to be a licensed controls engineer who also changes light bulbs,right?.So in effect my plant sacrifice is enabling the one billion dollars pouring into KCAP but am I jealous,no Detroit Lions 48 Kansas City 3.Ford recently poured a lot of money into those plants who voted no but hey we all get a vote.

[danehilby]

Let me get this straight. I should vote YES because I am going to get $6000 in bonus signing and $1500 a year for 4 years. A whole whopping $12,000. Yet, when we gave up COLA, we gave up about $2.00 an hour. Since the work week is 40 hours and we have been without COLA for 2 1/2 years, that means the 40 hour a week worker has missed out on about $11,000 (40 hours x 52 weeks for 2 1/2 years). Now just think if you work more than 40 hours per week. There are many at our plant that get paid for at least 70 hours per week with overtime, some even more. That works out for those to be about $18,000. That is just for 2 1/2 years. Do I really need to throw out the numbers for a four year period? Well, I will. The overtime worker would give up around $29,000. So, take that $12,000 back to the negotiating table and get us back our COLA.

 

And I will not even touch the fact that the inflation we are due to face in the next few years will make your paycheck and bonuses look like an allowance from your daddies.

[Fatso]

You can vote no Dane,,,,and you are right.We gave up so much back to help out the company when times was bad and I dont see it coming back without a strike.But lets say Ford Motor does invest all that money,,all those billions into the USA.Now the economy picks up and industry wide vehicle sales steadily increase.Then the UAW is in a much stronger position to negotiate.

[Len_A]

You can vote no Dane,,,,and you are right.We gave up so much back to help out the company when times was bad and I dont see it coming back without a strike.But lets say Ford Motor does invest all that money,,all those billions into the USA.Now the economy picks up and industry wide vehicle sales steadily increase.Then the UAW is in a much stronger position to negotiate.

Exactly. And next go around, GM & Chrysler regain their right to strike, and GM's increasing profitability will all play into the unions hands.

[MTP WORKER]

Let me get this straight. I should vote YES because I am going to get $6000 in bonus signing and $1500 a year for 4 years. A whole whopping $12,000. Yet, when we gave up COLA, we gave up about $2.00 an hour. Since the work week is 40 hours and we have been without COLA for 2 1/2 years, that means the 40 hour a week worker has missed out on about $11,000 (40 hours x 52 weeks for 2 1/2 years). Now just think if you work more than 40 hours per week. There are many at our plant that get paid for at least 70 hours per week with overtime, some even more. That works out for those to be about $18,000. That is just for 2 1/2 years. Do I really need to throw out the numbers for a four year period? Well, I will. The overtime worker would give up around $29,000. So, take that $12,000 back to the negotiating table and get us back our COLA.

 

And I will not even touch the fact that the inflation we are due to face in the next few years will make your paycheck and bonuses look like an allowance from your daddies.

Look this is not the 1990's or 2000's when the economy was stronger,health care was cheaper, and there was more of a good paying blue collar workforce. House values have dropped big time and so has most other blue collar workers wages. It is pretty clear that home values were probally inflated beyond what they were really worth and as much as I hate to admit it so was the rate of pay that I am receiving.Millions of other Americans have taken a massive financial hit and we are still pretty much untouched and are doing way better than the average blue collar worker. I was making $12.50 an hour before I landed a job with FORD. I actually had bought a house ($79,000 sale price) by working 6 days a week at the dirty old machine shop that I had been at for two years. The car I had was a old Crown Vic with a paint job not worth washing. 16 years later I find myself now with a lifestyle that I can only thank Ford and the UAW for ( I guess I better throw God and a nice relative in there in case they read this. lol). Sure I had to deal with some asshole bosses and some of the jobs were overloaded but the wage and benefits I got helped me get over it. Ford is investing in America, leaving wages alone( which are already awesome considering that just about anyone can do any of the jobs in a plant) and is not making me pay toward my health care premium like the salary workers and most other companies that provide group insurance. How many people do you think have the dental plan that we have? This deal we are voting on is not so bad that I would want to strike over it. By voting NO that is what could happen. I am not posting this for an argument. I am just trying to give a view to help the undecided ones. Like I posted before ask yourself this before voting . What is the worst that can happen with a Yes vote. What is the worst that can happen with a NO vote. It is not about what can you get but what you might lose that will have a greater affect on your lifes. Remember the IUAW is not going to push for something that they do not even support right now. They will be disgusted after all of the effort that they went through that not only keeps us were we are with wages but added a decent chunk of change and most importantly helped secure jobs and Plant investment. The greater majority will be ok with the current agreement and hopefully the economy grows and we will be in a better position to get more of the pie on the next contract. By the way if the contract passes try not to be to sad when you NO voters spend ( or maybe invest) the soon to be had easy money signing cash.

Edited October 12, 2011 by sez