"The forced overtime – we are working to death. We are working 12-hour shifts, seven days a week, every day, week after week, month after month, year after year. We are burned out,” added Ferdinandsen. “These companies are profiting the way that they are and trying to convince the American people that they’re hurting, but in the same breath coming out and bragging about it, and then telling us they can’t afford everything that we’re putting out there. They’re forcing our hand to strike. It is not going to be on the UAW. What we’re asking for is everything that we lost, everything that they’ve taken from us, everything that they betrayed us with. That’s all we’re asking for and they have the means to give it back.”
“The union has bent over backwards to make these companies successful. They can no longer cry ‘Well, we can’t afford it, we can’t afford this.’ They are making money hand over fist off the backs of the workers and it’s time that workers get their fair share,” added Candela. “It’s time somebody cares. It’s time somebody takes the bull by the horns and starts negotiating a living wage contract for all members, active and retirees.”
Behind these immense profits, Fernandinsen argued, is a workforce that is being overworked with mandatory forced overtime and divided along different pay tiers and temporary statuses.
So what you’re saying is that either unions already did everything they’re supposed to do or they’re worthless?
Speaking of “one of the most powerful out there”, the auto industry is a malevolent behemoth itself, a formidable adversary of any union. If not for UAW, the conditions and wages would be much more atrocious for sure.
UAW has been around for almost 90 years, they should be collectively bargaining for all their workers. 80 years, and they still are overworked… considering that’s the point that everyone seems to agree they think a union is supposed to solve, they probably should have figured something for that in all that time?
There’s a lot a union does, but if their purpose is to avoid letting workers get fucked over, I think most people would agree 60-70 hours a week is getting fucked over.
You’re still pretending that they can achieve what they want when they want with no pushback from one of the most powerful industries in the world 🙄
I’ll say it again: things may not be anywhere near perfect for autoworkers, but they’re a hell of a lot better than they would be without UAW.