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