| The United American Workers union | | | | Before it reached complete approval, the |
| reported that the contract with Chrysler | | | | contract met many objections regarding |
| LLC had been finally ratified by their | | | | its provisions for the union. Many UAW |
| group. | | | | members are not satisfied with the |
| "We are pleased that our UAW employees | | | | second-tier wage for the new employees |
| recognize that the new agreement meets | | | | rating to $14 per hour or half the |
| the needs of the company and its | | | | regular employee earns. According to |
| employees by providing a framework to | | | | contract dissidents, this low wage is a |
| improve our long-term manufacturing | | | | step towards a continuing depreciation |
| competitiveness,'' Tom LaSorda, | | | | of labor cost in the United States. |
| Chrysler's vice chairman and president, | | | | After rejections made by workers in two |
| said in a statement released after the | | | | Chrysler plants in St. Louis, Mo., the |
| union announced the contract had been | | | | UAW chief, Ron Gettelfinger and his |
| approved. | | | | national council exerted more efforts |
| To finish the Detroit three, the union | | | | for the contract campaign. The rebuffing |
| must also negotiate with Ford Motor Co. | | | | made by the two assembly plants was due |
| (its Volvo division makes top of the | | | | to limited commitments made by Chrysler |
| line Volvo water pump) and the union | | | | to its plants as a response to Job |
| expects that their negotiations with | | | | security issues. |
| Ford begin this week. | | | | "There's no question this was a |
| As recorded by the union, 56 percent of | | | | difficult set of negotiations during |
| their production workers and 51 percent | | | | difficult times for the U.S. auto |
| of the skilled workers voted for the | | | | industry," said UAW Vice President |
| tentative agreement's approval. Support | | | | General Holifield, who heads the union's |
| had also been given by the 94 percent of | | | | Chrysler Department. "But with the |
| the clerical workers and 19 percent of | | | | support of our membership and local |
| the workers at Chrysler's engineering | | | | leadership, we have an agreement that |
| department. | | | | secures jobs and wages and protects |
| "Our members had to face some tough | | | | healthcare and pension benefits," |
| choices, and we had a solid, democratic | | | | Holifield said. |
| debate about this contract," UAW | | | | The contract was made last October 10 |
| President Ron Gettelfinger said. "Now | | | | after a brief strike launched by the |
| we're going to come together as a union | | | | union against now Cerberus owned |
| - and now it's on the company to move | | | | Chrysler LLC. It was the same day the |
| ahead, increase their market share and | | | | UAW completely ratified their deal with |
| continue to build great cars and trucks | | | | the biggest target, General Motors. |
| here in the U.S." | | | | |