My $0.02
1. 30-40% raise in salary, that is over the life of the contract so, a 4 yr contract that equals 7.5-10% per yr. They don't get it all at one time. The contacts I looked at were from $17-35/hr
2. non-union plants mentioned, there is a reason their $$'s/hr. is competitive is because the unions have established that as the going wage rate for the industry, let Mercades lower the wage rate to $15hr and see how long people will work there. Kindda like government contracts have a similar wage scale.
3. not sure of the OT for the 32 hr work week but most places that went to 12hr shift depending on shift schedule get OT after 36hr, I will say getting paid for 40 and only working 32 is radically different.
4. while not a fan of the government bail out of the auto industry they are such a big piece of the economic pie in the US, shutting down would be catastrophic to the system
5. never worked in an auto plant they probably are lot more automated but, in a papermill they are paying you the $$'s when the upset conditions happen, and the Co. isn't making money.
As a USW member, active on the local level but can't drink the kool-aide on the national level, still can't believe USW pushed fetterman/hillary in respective elections and the folks on the national level are feeling the pushback from the rank-and-file members.
