UAW President Says Michigan Right To Work Vote Will Force Union To Be Accountable

UAW President Bob King said he expects few defections by his members when Michigan's right-to-work law takes effect in March.

Unionized workers at parts suppliers will be among the first to test King's confidence. As supplier contracts with the UAW expire and are renewed or negotiated after the law takes effect, employees will be able to leave the union.

Contracts with the Detroit 3 expire in September 2015, so the law will have no impact on those plants until then. There's a provision in the law that prohibits the legislation from abrogating existing contracts.

King, who negotiated Detroit 3 contracts for about 115,000 auto workers last year, said the union is providing value to members, as evidenced by the fact that 90 percent of UAW-represented auto workers in right-to-work states have chosen to stay in the union. "We're going to continue doing the best job we can and be rewarded with the loyalty of the membership," King said. He spoke by phone from Geneva, where he was attending a meeting of global union federations.

Steve - 12/17/2012 4:13:48 PM

+5 Boost

The name "right-to-work" is a misnomer. It is NOT an entitlement to a job, a condition that the unions prefer. It's (proposed) legistaltion that prohibits forced union membership as a condition of employment.

I'm totally against "entitlement" to a job. That's a state-run concept, as we saw in the former soviet union.

Steve - 12/18/2012 12:54:35 AM

+5 Boost

King correctly asserts that unions are providing value to the workers. Unfortunately, they provide no value to the company that pays the employees, nor to consumers who purchase the products. And that's not good business. It's more like a bad multi-level marketing scheme.

Unions are nothing more than a way to foster a job-entitlement, "us against them" mentality by guaranteeing a job for those who otherwise would likely be unemployable, or paid a lot less at true market value. These are the people who obviously want unions. Well, them and high-paid union execs like King, and union managers who clock in overtime while running trips to the booze store (see YouTube videos that document this).

I'm not a fan of unions, as you might tell.

Lexus - 12/18/2012 8:02:34 PM

+1 Boost

Dawn this Dinosaurs still around? Seriously they needs to go because why should a company paid their employees for Not working and abusing the system?

This is freaking ridiculous. Stop blaming the foreigners automakers for your shitty product because from my understanding they have manufactured plants here in the U.S. and hire a lot of American workers.

I wish I can work for a company where I can clock in over time even thought I am not working at that time. Drink alcohol, smoke pot during lunch break and then go back to work. I can do all of this because it is my right as Union member ; )

And make up to $100,000 or more year, plus all the benefits when I retire. Wow...., what freaking dream job.

Where can I apply? Seriously where I can and many other honest hard working, tax paying American citizen Apply for a job like this?