(WWJ) In the midst of contract negotiations, the UAW voted to put its GM auto workers on strike.
The decision to call for the first nationwide strike in a dozen years wasn't taken lightly, union leaders say.
What does it mean for workers? To Tamara Abney, a third-generation GM worker, it means no full paycheck for the foreseeable future.
But she's standing by the decision to strike, saying she works hard to build a quality product and, "We want to be able to afford the cars that we make."
How long can she go without a paycheck?
"Until my eyes can stay open no more," she told WWJ's Ron Dewey, adding, "This is my history, this is my present and this is our future."
Workers picketed and chanted outside the Detroit-Hamtramck GM Assembly plant.
One of the picketers was Doris Parnell. who retired in 2008 after 31 years there. She said the workers need all the help they can get.
"It's very important to have people who have been in their shoes come out and support them and give them that cushion they need to know their leadership is working very hard in their favor," she said. It's important for younger workers to support older workers, who need pension dollars, and older workers to support younger workers in getting a fair wage, she added. Generations working together for a common good.
The UAW has long lived by the rule the most effective negotiation tool is the threat of a strike. Once you cross that line, that threat is over and you have to find a way to get negotiations rolling again.
"The reality sets in that they're receiving not paychecks, but strike benefits, which we're told are about one-third of their salary," WWJ's Murray Feldman reported. "And eventually that's going to take a toll."
Crisis management professional Sheldon Stone of Birmingham said the auto companies must remain strong and not contribute to the kind of situation that led them to the verge of bankruptcy 10 years ago.
The union says they remain far apart on many issues. Health care costs remain an issue on which they can't agree, and union officials want fewer temporary workers on the payrolls and for new employees to be able to move faster up the pay scale. GM says they've offered investments in eight facilities across four states and raises in all four years of a new contract.
As of right now, a new-hire production worker makes about $17 an hour, pre freep.com, while a legacy worker earns $28 to $33 an hour. "A skilled trades worker, about 15% of the Detroit Three's workforce, is closer to $35 to $36 an hour. They often get heavy overtime," freep.com reported. Temp workers -- which comprises 7 to 10% of GM's staff -- start at $15 an hour.
In comparison, autoworkers in Mexico -- without a union -- earn an average $2.70 an hour.
UAW talks with GM resume at 10 a.m. Monday.
