This tactic - a departure from the union's usual strategy of staging an all-out strike against a single automaker chosen as a target - is intended to give the U.A.W. negotiators increased leverage in the talks, and to keep the manufacturers off balance.

"It will keep them guessing on what's going to happen next," Mr. Fain said.

Striking at even a handful of plants would disrupt the automakers' production while ensuring that a large portion of the 150,000 U.A.W. members at the three companies continued to work and receive paychecks.

One of the biggest issues with all the workers is the elimination of tier salaries - people being paid different amounts based on seniority for doing the same jobs. This was a concession left over from the near-bankruptcies after the 2008 Great Recession.

One other observation, at 1pm this afternoon there were hundreds of UAW workers - including a number of both retirees and younger workers who were most vocal about the tier issue - standing in solidarity along with many non-UAW union members from other locals in attendance. During the program it was mentioned how many small towns here in Indiana - like Kokomo itself - have been devastated by Big 3 plant closings, taking thousands of good-paying, middle class jobs away forever.

This is the real America that most elitist Trumpers cannot relate to nor ever understand, but they have no compunction using them while scapegoating minorities and immigrants, making sure that those who run our corporations can keep much more of the wealth created by workers like these who simply want to be commensurately paid for a fair day's work.

'they're' for my first two theirs.

It's been a long day....

Correction: UAW International President is Shawn Fain, not Fein.

This is about EV's

Not really. This action is about the 150,000 existing workers who majorly work on traditional vehicles.

In Kokomo itself, Stellantis along with Samsung is building a huge battery factory as we speak. Currently, that facility is not contracted as a union facility. So if this is the norm with emerging EV production chains, yes indeed it will be a future bargaining point as was mentioned today at the rally.

But THIS potential strike is about the here and now, the rank and file producing the American-made vehicles on the market currently, and allowing these workers to fairly share in the ballooning profits accrued through the sweat of their labor.

Yes it is.

No, it isn't. THIS negotiation is about current workers and their contracts. It has nothing to do with FUTURE negotiations over EV production/supply chain that hasn't yet come on line. I personally had this discussion with the president of a UAW president with 4000 members in this fight. There IS a fight coming for UAW over EV-related jobs, but THIS isn't it!

If you can't figure out the difference between an ongoing contract tied to decades of history and future contracts that haven't yet been negotiated, then drop out of this discussion.

All are expected to pay far less than current UAW scale at the auto plants, and far less than members would receive after they win a raise in this contract.

I mentioned this in one of my initial posts. While it is the UAW's goal to bring all automotive-related workers under their umbrella onto equal footing as it regards pay and benefits, this particular strike call is not about directly that - although a rising tide eventually lifts all boats.

I gave you the example of the joint venture battery plant now being built in Kokomo and the fact that no contract is in place for its future workers once the plant is completed. The exact quote of the UAW region head in regards to both this contract and the union's plan for future EV negotiations was "How do you eat an elephant? ONE BITE at a time(!)" steeling the workers to understand that even if they don't get all their lofty goals with this contract, they'll take what they can get now, move forward and continue working for more. They are not cemented into an all or nothing posture and this is coming from the negotiating team, not simply the rank and file.

your math is a little off

So sue me. I was using Vernon's calculator. ;^)

I was actually going to make a Vernon joke with that...

Brings a tear to my eye thinking about all the homies no longer with us.

It's been a long ride Ebs.

Gal(2), Twinpac(6), Alexandrite(3), Joe(8) are all single digits and Corky(11), Zed(13), Danni(15), Boaz(17) are teens.

Apologies if I missed someone else.

But never forget, the seniority list has always been flawed. Except for Rcade, Alex and Gal, a reset occurred on 05/24/05 and the current rankings after them are based on the sign-in order on that day. I've been here since sometime in 2003.

Forgot Truthy at 7. My bad.

Retort(RCade) is number 1. I thought everyone already knew that.

Bill Johnson is 9. I didn't realize he'd been around here that long.

Lauramohr is 5. Sorry I missed her.

Tadowe, VonMises, -----------, and especially TPS way, way back at the beginning.