Last week, with member angst over its existing two-tier wage structure already running high, as the United Auto Workers held its special convention to focus on upcoming auto industry negotiations, Bloomberg reported that GM and Ford would like to see a third tier added to the complexion of the automakers’ pay structure.
While at the convention, UAW President seemingly rejected the automakers’ idea, stating, “I’m thinking they got too many damn tiers now.”
However, according to writer at the World Socialist Web, at a press conference later, Williams left the door open to the third-tier idea.
Williams spoke at a March 25 press conference at the close of the convention. The UAW ordered World Socialist Web Site reporters out of the conference before Williams spoke, in accordance with an antidemocratic policy the UAW adopted in 2011 to prevent the exposure of its betrayal of auto workers.
The WSWS was, however, able to obtain a tape recording of the press conference. In it the following exchange took place: Detroit News reporter: “You mentioned the kind of lower tier GM and Ford want and you said ‘there are already too many damned tiers.’ Is that just completely off the table?”
Williams: “I meant it. How many damned tiers do people need? I don’t mind if we are going to talk about new work coming in and it’s not related necessarily to the OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers) or the stamping or the engine but it’s a component or something, we’ll talk. I’m all for growing the business if that makes sense. But we have to be thoughtful about what we are doing. You can’t keep dividing workers and thinking you are going to have a quality workforce and a quality product.”
In other words, for all the public denials designed to fool auto workers, the UAW is fully prepared to discuss a third tier. [Emphasis added.]
The WSWS has long been critical of the UAW and the two-tier structure the union negotiated in 2007.
Yet, whether or not Williams ‘betrays’ UAW members in 2015, as the WSWS claims, is yet to be determined.
