Delphi ignores UAW contract, advertises for $10-an-hour workers
Apparently ignoring the terms of its UAW contract, Delphi has posted
this ad for hourly workers at its Athens, Alabama steering systems plant:April 21: Delphi Steering Systems, Athens, AL has employment opportunities for the following positions: Production and Machine Operators
- Manufacturing experience preferred, but not required
- High School Graduate or equivalent
- Must be willing to work any shift
- Wage scale $10.00 - $14.00 per hour
The Car Connection's Mac Gordon reports that the ads fly in the face of Delphi's UAW contract, which requires a minimum wage of not less than $14 an hour. If the bankruptcy court accepts Delphi's proposal to void its current labor contracts, then Delphi would be free to set a new wage scale, but that motion is still before the court, and will not be decided upon for some time.
Delphi says that the ad just aims to fill jobs vacated by workers accepting its job buyout offer. In any event, the Athens plant doesn't have much of a future with Delphi - it's on the list to be closed or sold in Delphi's planned restructuring.
[Source TheCarConnection.com, Florence TimesDaily]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
Aaron 1:26PM (5/02/2006)
You are worth $10 an hour and falling. The gas in your car is worth $3.25 a gallon and climbing fast. The CEO of your company is worth $3 million a year and has a golden parachute if anything happens. The price of healthcare is soaring. The price of a college education will double before a highschool freshman graduates (guessing).
Anyone else concerned about our economy?
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hj 1:34PM (5/02/2006)
Your company is bankrupt. Your union requires the groundskeeper to make over 100k/year. Do you A: Sacrifice to try to help the dying company and save your jobs or B: Join with the socialist libs and fight against the, "evil corporation" so you can make over 100k/year to sit on your fat lazy union ass and press a button all day? Well the UAW has been choosing plan B for years and look at what it's done for them? Sorry libs but we live in a capitalist society, not the post office like wish we did in your socialist fantasy land.
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George 1:38PM (5/02/2006)
Alabama, 10 bucks an hour? That can buy you a house down there, and let your wife stay home with the kids!
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MP 1:38PM (5/02/2006)
Actually the price of regular is $2.79 outside the coast where most manufacturing is moving to. At $10 / hour the ratio is roughly the same as when I worked a entry level factory job back in the late 60's / early 70's. Unions, with help from management, got our of control. Appears it is returning to previous levels. What is your point?
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Fred 1:39PM (5/02/2006)
Or to put it another way, if you have no tertiary (including vocational) education and no skills, how much _should_ your labor be worth in the US labor market?
And in a world where Filipina graduate degree holders are sweeping floors and making beds for a pittance, how much should it be worth, period?
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torcik 1:50PM (5/02/2006)
#2 You are probably pining for the good old days of captalism, circa 19th
century. When people worked 12 hours a day, six days a week. If workers protested they were beat or shot Children under the age of 12 worked in factories. When the miidle class did not exist, there was only rich and poor.
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Aaron 1:59PM (5/02/2006)
My point wasn't Pro-Union. I believe there are plenty of jobs for the taking. However, our government makes it very hard to compete when healthcare prices soar and our education system sucks. SUCKS!
Tons of our high-paying tech jobs go to imported labor. Not b/c its cheaper. Its because we don't have enough qualified candidates in the US. Qualified being the key word.
Does our government improve education programs to make us more competitive? No. They make it harder and more expensive for US companies to bring in overseas workers. They make US companies implement more systems. All of which lowers income and investment dollars. Does that solve anything? No.
Our government is not proactive. They're reactive. And they react the wrong way.
I'd hardly call myself a liberal. You're right... we live in a capitalistic society. Our government should act like it.
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Optimus Prime 2:05PM (5/02/2006)
Hahaa .. this is smart on Delphi's part. This move was calculated, not a mistake.
Foreshadowing the future of Delphi/UAW workers. If this doesn't get those negotiations gonin' i dont know what.
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jordan 2:05PM (5/02/2006)
I don't consider $10/hr to be such a horrible wage for production workers in AL. If you want more than $10/hr, either A. work on that college degree, or B. start looking somewhere else. The company isn't doing this in an effort to keep from going into bankrupcy; they're already IN bankrupcy, and they need a drastic change to help them get out of the red and at least back into the black. They tried it the union way, let's see what a little creativity does. Actually, what would be great to see would be Delphi become profitable again and, accordingly, raise these worker's wages in thanks for their willingness to take a chance with their company to help him survive.
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ChiTown 5 2:18PM (5/02/2006)
Since when is it a bad thing for men and women in this country to make a living wage. I suspect that some of you on this blog need to get your heads out of your ass, you're getting close to being brain dead from methane gas. #2 hj, you show your lack of knowledge when you make the imply, the groundkeeper makes $100k per year.
This may be harsh but some of you on here are either igornant, just plain crazy as hell, or maybe still wetting your diapers.
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Richard Warren 2:57PM (5/02/2006)
So, some of you you think 10 bucks per hour is OK? Hmmm
The Federal Poverty Guideline for a family of 4 is 20,000 that equals $9.61 per hour. So all things being equal that .40 over the poverty level.
OK, lets say there are only 2 people in the family. The poverty level is 13,200 So you make 20,000 a year that's 6,800 dollars above the poverty level.
Let's be fair and say both work, one at 10 per hour one at 7 per hour that comes to about 34,500 per year and that's PRETAX income.
Then lets say, both folks work and use a couple of gallons each per year, at 3 dollars per gallon that's about 3,100 per year.
Then lets say you have a realllllyyyy cheap apartment or rental @ 350 per month That's 3,200 per year.
Lets be charitable and really give the all utilities a break and say you pay 300 per month. That's 3,600 per year.
How about some insurance for the cars, and renters insurance, say you've got a great record and then lets say you can get it on the cheap for all of it for 180 a month. That's 2,160
Then lets say you find some really inexpensive health insurance and you're the right age and in good health and you score a medium deduct great plan for both 300 a month. That's 3,600 dollars
Of course you do need to eat, so lets just say you eat a lot of lettuce and fruit and you don't mind that rumble in your tummy so 250 per month.
Let's also be charitable and say you've got 2 older cars, paid for, but need about a 1,000 a year in upkeep and repairs per year. That's 2,000 per year
Then lets say you're a good American and you put a whopping 1,000 into sayings or some type of investment.
So that all comes out to around 22,600 per year. Of course we haven't bought any clothes,shoes(it's ok to be naked)cleaning supplies, cosmetics,haircuts,life insurance, you don't have a pet, Internet access (it's OK, you're just an assembly worker, you don't need those things)
And, that's with everthing working just ducky. Then one freak day the wife or the husband has a car accident, slips on ice (insert disaster of your choice here)
Welcome to that new 3rd world country, America
Show of hands. How many here are working for $10 dollars per hour and think it's good?
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Puff Chippy 3:28PM (5/02/2006)
It's still very fashionable for the common man to want to be Capitalist Gordon Gecko even though the position of his idolized political party are less likely to protect the health and safety of him and his family, less likely to protect his job, and less likely to benefit him economically. So why would the common working stiff stand behind the corporations and pro-business organizations that bankroll the republican war machine and anti-labor, anti-environment representatives in government? Why would he vote for a party whose only interest is to make the rich richer and the poor poorer? Because Joe and Betty have been convinced that social issues are more important than economic ones and no amount of debate will ever change his mind no matter how poverty stricken he becomes.
That's why we have such a poor educational system, one of the most ineffectual health care systems among modern nations, a president invading who knows which country this month and a slow, steady erosion of the middle class.
And yes, that's also why we love bashing unions and scoff at the concept of a living wage and workers rights.
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Finished.Law.School 3:48PM (5/02/2006)
$10-an-hour sounds like the true value of all UAW workers.
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ks 4:02PM (5/02/2006)
hj posted "Your union requires the groundskeeper to make over 100k/year"
Where do you get this from? The figure keeps growing, sort of like Pinochio's nose.... Scabs are being sought, and maybe your job is next to go hj!
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Dave Rose 4:02PM (5/02/2006)
If the jobs are lost in USA. Then everyone should boycott GM products. Honda or Toyota don't have this problem and they pay top scale. Paying $2.00 an hour for labor, that should mean a full size car should be around $4,500. Like the old saying, The fat just keep keeping richer. Is there a pay cut in the top brass? NOPE.
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Chris 4:50PM (5/02/2006)
Delphi is begging for a strike with this! I am not Pro-Union but this is too far and obscene. I really hope GM is stocking up on parts because if Delphi goes on strike GM won't be able to build cars including their new Silverado/Sierra due later this year. This will cripple their turn around and perhaps make GM buy parts elsewhere.
#13, you must be one of the most arrogant people on this site with comments like that and some of your others.
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That One Person 5:00PM (5/02/2006)
Hey Richard...I have to agree with that.
I have a friend who just got married. He worked at a hospital making $13 an hour. His new wife worked at some medical supply company making $15 an hour. They couldnt afford anything. They never bought useless objects like movies or cd's. All their money went to paying for food, insurance, utilities, the house, school and medical bills. Well just a couple months ago, they moved in with his PARENTS.
My dad works at Ford as an electrician and is a union member. He is gonna retire in eight years. The funny thing is, he doesnt make shit for money (not even close to that supposed $100k a year), his insurance covers some bills, he actually hates Ford and the workers there and he has a hard time paying off bills. He doesnt drive brand new expensive cars. We dont live in a big house. Not every freaking UAW worker is fat and lazy. So get your heads out of your ignorant asses.
It would be extremely hard to support a family on those kind of wages. But at least they arent overpaying their workers anymore...
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John Smith 6:27PM (5/02/2006)
Socialism must die, If you don't want to work for $10 an hour, DON'T TAKE THE JOB!!!!
How about that for an idea???
The market will set the wages. If nobody applies for the jobs, Delphi will raise the wage. Unions are unnecessary.
BTW, did you read that guy above who claimed CORPORATIONS WOULD "BEAT YOU AND MAKE YOU WORK 12 HOURS A DAY"? Hahaha!!!!
Those union hacks are a piece of work!
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Cheryl Jameson 11:09PM (5/02/2006)
100k for a groundskeeper? I agree with another poster. Seems like every time I read another article it claims that I'm making more then I ever dreamed of. Sure, I have a great job. Sure I've been fortunate. But the income wages are grossly overstated. For those of you that think we are getting whats coming to us... jokes on you - your job will be effected next. There are very few jobs that do not rely on the American Auto Workers buying power. No amount of education is going to save the impact this is going to have. GM, Ford, Chrysler, and other companies are watching to see how much they are going to be able to by with as well.
Your turn is next.
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TC 12:03AM (5/03/2006)
16. Delphi is begging for a strike with this! I am not Pro-Union but this is too far and obscene. I really hope GM is stocking up on parts because if Delphi goes on strike GM won't be able to build cars including their new Silverado/Sierra due later this year.
If GM doesn't sell any cars, what happens to the union. You do the math
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