DETROIT – The United Auto Workers union has ratified a new contract with General Motors.
Here is the full statement from the UAW (Friday, Nov. 20):
Today the UAW-GM Council and the International Union, UAW's International Executive Board (IEB) met to discuss the ratification results for the tentative National Agreement recently negotiated with General Motors LLC. As previously noted, while the majority of the entire UAW-GM membership voted in favor of the tentative agreement – 55.4 percent in favor versus 44.6 percent against – the skilled trades membership voted against ratification. Following receipt of these ratification results, meetings were held with the UAW skilled trades membership at each GM worksite in order to determine the issues for their rejection of the tentative agreement.
These issues were then presented to the UAW-GM and UAW National Skilled Trades Departments for review. After reviewing these issues and discussions with the IEB with the recommendation of Vice President Cindy Estrada, the IEB determined that further discussion with the Company was needed. Following discussions with GM, the parties agreed to changes that protect core trades classifications and seniority rights. The UAW-GM Council met to discuss these changes and concluded that the common Skilled Trades issues were addressed and recommended that the changes be presented to the IEB with the Council's full and unanimous support.
Based on the fact that the majority of the UAW-GM membership ratified the National Agreement and that the Skilled Trades membership concerns about protecting the core trades classifications and seniority rights have now been met, the IEB took action to formally ratify the UAW-GM National Agreement. General Motors has been notified of the UAW's formal ratification of the National Agreement.
The UAW Constitution provides for separate ratification votes when granted by the UAW International Executive Board. Since its inception, the UAW has put in place a process to ensure that minority groups have a voice while at the same time protecting the rights of the majority. The UAW's highest body, its Constitutional Convention, has affirmed this process and stated that this process of separate ratification votes should not be abused, but used as a tool to protect all of our members' rights.