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dft/GM president tours Lordstown plant after United Way event
YOUNGSTOWN
A top General Motors official visited the General Motors Lordstown Complex for the first time.
Alan Batey, GM president for North America, arrived from Detroit on Thursday night to be the guest speaker for the United Way of Youngstown and the Mahoning Valley’s kickoff breakfast for its 18th annual Day of Caring on Friday morning.
After the United Way event, Batey headed off to tour the plant.
Batey’s visit comes at a time when GM, Fiat Chrysler America and Ford and United Auto Workers are in negotiations on a new national agreement to replace the four-year agreement that expires at midnight Sept. 14. Contract talks began in July.
In August, more than 90 percent of those in United Auto Workers Local 1112 and Local 1714, which represents the assembly and fabrication plant workers, respectively, voted in favor of strike authorization if needed.
A strike authorization vote is a normal part of the process for the UAW and does not necessarily signal the union’s intent to call a strike. A strike authorization vote by the union’s members gives the union’s leaders the ability to call a strike if contract talks stall or hit an impasse.
UAW concerns are for longtime workers who haven’t received a base wage increase in 10 years, and many members continue to be unhappy about a two-tier wage system that pays newer workers less money.
While Batey said he had no announcements about union talks, he said that the strike authorization was not something to worry about every day.
“We’re negotiating as we speak,” he said.
Batey said the company is on schedule as it rolls out the next-generation Cruze for next year.
On the other hand, a drop in gas prices has triggered more people to buy larger vehicles including pickups and trucks. But Batey said it’s not at the expense of the Cruze and the general compact-car market.
“It’s a huge segment,” he said.
During the breakfast kickoff, Batey announced that this year GM will match dollar for dollar contributions of GM employees nationwide to the 2015 United Way campaign.