To All Delphi, Guide, Lear, Amer Axe UAW members with recall rights to GM:
Lately I have received many calls and emails from UAW members who have recall rights to GM.
I empathize with your anxiety. I remember when I was laid off in 1981 and ran out of all unemployment and benefits. There were very few jobs available in Michigan at the time. What riled me most was that while I, and many other UAW members were laid off, fellow UAW members at GM, Ford, and Chrysler were working over time — all the time. For every two UAW members who worked 60 hours a week, one UAW member didn't work at all. That's not unionism.
Since that time I have always refused non mandatory over time when members are laid off, but as you know, the Concession Caucus has fostered a non union perspective for a long time.
(There's a good reason that I refer to the leadership of the UAW as the Con Caucus rather than the UAW International. We the People are the union. The Con Caucus is a parasite on the union.)
The gist of the many emails and calls I have received lately are in regard to rumors that GM is hiring, and/or taking referrals and overlooking the recall rights of members from Delphi, Guide, and American Axle.
Yes, GM has taken referrals, but there has not been any hiring and there won't be any hiring until employees start to leave on the Special Attrition Program [SAP]. Everyone who takes the SAP must retire by July 1, 2008 unless they don't attain 30 years seniority until later in the year, in which case, they will retire 30 days after they attain 30 years of credited service.
I am not sure how many people will take the SAP, but GM will improve the offers until they get the number that they want. After July 1, we should get more reliable information about where job openings are occurring and how may jobs are available.
Accurate information is key and for that reason it is important that we continue to expand our network. It is important to agitate to give members with recall rights who are unemployed or working below scale priority hiring rights. GM should not be permitted to hire off the street until the pool of members who have recall rights is exhausted. The only way we will be able to police the hiring protocols is by maintaining reliable contacts inside the plants.
I do not know exactly how many members have recall rights but I think it is safe to assert that most members from Amer Axe and Delphi have made their choice and the number of those who still wish to return to GM is not that large. It should not be a problem for GM to absorb those members back into the system once older members retire.
Currently, there are no openings. GM is not hiring. In July we should have a better idea of what is available. I understand how hard it is to be patient. If you are unemployed and have time available, I suggest joining the pickets at Amer Axe. If Amer Axe closes more plants or cuts wages, it will increase the number of members with recall rights to GM and they will be pounding on the doors to get in. A victory at Amer Axe — No Plant Closings & No Concessions — will be a victory for all.
sos shotwell
3/11/08
Just a quick FYI about Bowling Green and most if not all GM assembly plants hiring.
While at Delphi, Lockport as well as most others we never hired summer help to allow vacations, O.T. was always used to cover it, in assembly they can not cover with O.T., therfore summer help is used from May thru Sept.
Although I would like to see laid off members used as summer help I do not believe many would do it based on logistics and the cost of temp. lodging etc...
On a brighter note however I did find out that Arlington Texas has an initial call for 25 perms at their facility, as posted on UAW Local 1999 website, see the cut and paste from their website below:
"The plant in Arlington, TX, has made a requisition for 25 with a start date of March 31. I have talked with their Shop Chairman, Duwayne Humphries, and at this time Arlington management has not requested any further start dates. Those that prefer Arlington, however, may want to apply through the NEPC, 1-800-628-4473, CISCO 18008, in case there are backfills for those that turn down the March 31 start date."
sos
Greg B.
