february - IAM Local Lodge 839
february - IAM Local Lodge 839
february - IAM Local Lodge 839
You also want an ePaper? Increase the reach of your titles
YUMPU automatically turns print PDFs into web optimized ePapers that Google loves.
Page 8 MACHINISTS MATTERS<br />
FEB RU ARY 2009<br />
December 26, 2008<br />
Lack of<br />
good wages, not unions,<br />
to blame for crisis<br />
NEWS-LEADER.COM<br />
Springfield, Mo.<br />
This column is in response to Paul Schneider's letter,<br />
"Union assisted companies' decline." I can understand<br />
his frustration. I am, as well as most workers in America,<br />
frustrated at the loss of good-paying jobs in the U.S.<br />
What I don't agree with is his statement, "....they are<br />
the main reason that the automakers are in such bad<br />
shape. The union has demanded such huge salaries,<br />
such complete health care coverage and such outrageous<br />
pensions that the cost of a new car or truck has<br />
become unaffordable for many Americans."<br />
The union did not demand salaries and benefits. Wages<br />
and benefits were negotiated between management and<br />
labor. They were agreed to and a contract was signed.<br />
Union leaders didn't demand, they negotiated, as well<br />
as management, in good faith. The problem now being<br />
that time, the economy and situations beyond our control<br />
have changed. What made good sense in the past<br />
may now be misunderstood or even look ridiculous.<br />
"Complete health care coverage" that Mr. Schneider<br />
refers to as being part of the fall of the automakers was<br />
given to almost all American workers in the past. America<br />
had an abundance of good-paying jobs. These were<br />
factory jobs where goods were being made in America.<br />
Americans could actually work, pay taxes and provide<br />
for their families with these jobs. Corporate America<br />
did have a problem, though -- that being too much work<br />
and not enough workers. Companies lost employees to<br />
competitors. One way companies solved this was by offering<br />
free health care to employees. Health care was<br />
very cheap and a good benefit to give employees. This<br />
benefit was not forced on companies; it was just a good<br />
deal for all concerned at the time.<br />
The automakers do pay a weekly wage to employees<br />
who have been laid off. In the past this probably made<br />
sense. The assembling of an automobile takes many<br />
highly trained employees. They were probably paid during<br />
retooling times so as to retain their skills. It was<br />
cheaper than training new workers.<br />
I believe the UAW negotiators and union leaders understand<br />
that America, as well as American workers, have<br />
a horrendous problem. They are willing to talk and negotiate<br />
with the automakers.<br />
Mr. Schneider implies that auto workers need to lower<br />
their wages and benefits in order to compete. As I have<br />
said in the past, low wages have never brought prosperity<br />
to America. What brings prosperity to us is lots of<br />
good-paying jobs. Paychecks to spend. Automobiles<br />
made in America and across seas cost about the same;<br />
the difference is in how the company splits the pie. It is<br />
a dangerous situation when American workers agree to<br />
lower their wages and benefits to "compete." It doesn't<br />
matter what the UAW negotiates as a wage concession<br />
if they choose that route; the imports will move somewhat<br />
below that amount. It's a vicious cycle.<br />
All workers in America, no matter what their occupation,<br />
should make a wage that will give them the ability<br />
and dignity to raise a family and save for the future.<br />
Right now, that is not the case.<br />
We should not ask employees to work for less. The solution<br />
is to bring back good-paying American jobs where<br />
workers can make a good living and pay taxes. We<br />
should be trying to bring the low-paying jobs up in pay<br />
and stop trying to bring good-paying jobs down.<br />
Mike Brumley is president, <strong>Local</strong> 1553, International<br />
Brotherhood of Electrical Workers IBEW, Springfield.<br />
Editor’s Note; I was in Springfield , Mo. For Christmas.<br />
The article above was in the Springfield News-<br />
Leader on December 26th. I felt Brother Brumley<br />
spoke about the lack of good wages and the rush to<br />
blame the Unions in a way that made sense for everyone<br />
to understand. I contacted him and he has given<br />
me permission to reprint his letter to the editor. L.S.<br />
Quote from Robert B. Reich January 26, 2009 in an article for the Los Angles Times<br />
“Go back about 50 years, when America's middle class was expanding and the economy was soaring. Paychecks<br />
were big enough to allow us to buy all the goods and services we produced. It was a virtuous circle. Good pay<br />
meant more purchases, and more purchases meant more jobs.<br />
At the center of this virtuous circle were unions. In 1955, more than a third of working Americans belonged to<br />
one. Unions gave them the bargaining leverage they needed to get the paychecks that kept the economy going. So<br />
many Americans were unionized that wage agreements spilled over to nonunionized workplaces as well. Employers<br />
knew they had to match union wages to compete for workers and to recruit the best ones.”