🚀 go-pugleaf

I, too, asked whether the 4-hour day wasn't a bit too much for GM to
accept.  I inquired further and found the following.  Make of it what
you will, I think it sheds some light on the subject.

(1)  When the last contract was signed, GM set a quota on the number of
parts in teh machining required per day by each worker.  It was probably
felt taht the quota would be superior to the whoever-may-care method of
hourly wage.

(2)  That number was conceived by GM's ergonomic engineers, not by the
union or by negotiation.

When GM sought to change that number of parts, they chose to frame the
issue in terms of "noncompetitive work practices", a perfect spin that
frankly, I would have used were I in that position.

But this sounds awfully pro-GM.  Let's balance it out with these
observations:

(1)  THe work that the press shop does is under brutally hot
conditions.  Eight hours a day isn't really practical in a 130-degree
environment.  It is possible to do something else during the day, but
staying in the press shop does not sound like something I would want to
do, anyhow.

(2)  GM's contention that the plant is losing $50 million may be
predicated on the fact that no revenues come from their processes.  Cars
don't roll off their assembly line, rather parts go out to other
plants.  Therefore, teh plant shows no revenues at retail.  Does anybody
know what those figures are based on?  I don't, and I have assumed. 
Does anybody dispute that GM might have used this method?







Jim Titus wrote:
> 
> I was wondering, in particular, what lies behind the assertion that
> some employees at Flint get 8 hours pay for 4 hours work.  Some news
> accounts here in Maryland have suggested that one of the reasons for the
> strike is that the company wants these employees to work a full 8-hour
> day without getting overtime.
> 
>         This sounds reasonable enough--so reasonable that I have a hard time
> believing that the unionsis unwilling to agree to this condition.  Could
> the UAW be silly enough to insist on this type of featherbedding?  What
> is the union's side of this story?
> 
>         Thanks
> 
>         Jim
> 
> John Stone wrote:
> >
> > I wonder what is going on here?  I figure they must be talking about
> > more than just the local issues at the strike talks, at least that is
> > the impression I get from the news reports.  It looks like GM wants
> > to close down at least 3 plants and dump some of their product line.
> >
> > John S.