UAW -- 40% Pay Increase -- 32-Hour Work Week -- "Open-End" Right-To-Strike -- Lafffable --- September 22, 2023

Locator: 45536ECON. 

Link here.

The four demands:

1. Pay increase of 40%. Laughable.

2. Reinstating COLA. With a 40% increase in pay, COLA not needed. Ever.

3. Ending the two-tier system for pay and benefits. UAW is not serious on this one. Recent "new hires" would be geetting a 60% pay increase.

4. Job security for EV transition. Want to be able to strike when facilities shutdown or close due to the EV transition. Laughable. Open-ended "right-to-strike."

The UAW has four agenda items, but that's only to give them something to talk about. A 40% pay raise is all they really want. And that's laughable. I do think if the UAW fails to gain public support in this round of contract talks it will go back to the demand for a 40% raise in prices. "No one" in America gets a 40% pay raise -- except for CEOs. But seriously, their opening gambit: a 40% pay increase.

The goal to end the two-tier system for pay and benefits? This would give new hires a 60% pay increase. Maybe more. Fact-check me on that.

Also laughable and no longer discussed: 32-hour work week with pay for forty hours. They will still work 40+ hours and everything over 32 hours would be "overtime." 

Link here.

With regard to inflation and that 40% pay increase to cover future inflation:

CPI: "we're there." 3.2% UAW asking for 40% pay raise to cover future inflation. We'll talk about this later, along with three other non-starters. Link here.

Next: noon today -- strike action to be expanded.