UAW workers at Corvette factory authorize strike

Filed under: Convertible, Coupe, Performance, Government/Legal, Plants/Manufacturing, Chevrolet, UAW/Unions
http://o.aolcdn.com/dims-shared/dims...Premiere01.jpgUAW members have voted nearly unanimously in favor of authorizing a strike at the General Motors factory in Bowling Green, KY, home of the Chevrolet Corvette. As we explained yesterday, though, just because the plants 800 workers have authorized a walkout doesn't mean a strike is a sure thing.

According to the Local 2164's Facebook page, 93 percent of the workers who submitted ballots voted in favor of authorizing a strike. Still, the decision needs to be booted up to the regional and then national levels before any action can actually be taken. Eldon Renaud, the president of Local 2164, seems to think that the strike authorization will serve as a sort of saber rattling, getting the "immediate attention" of the facilities management.

"We're like everybody else, we're strike-shy," Renauld told the media, according to the Associated Press. "Nobody wants to have a strike. Who really benefits by it?"

According to Renauld, there are issues with both safety and quality control behind the move to strike. There have been "near misses," he says, which could have seriously injured workers at the facility. According to the AP, Renauld said the union is also concerned by a decision to eliminate quality control positions.

The ball now seems to be in the court of GM and its Bowling Green factory. "We're confident that we can work together and have a strong track record of creative problem solving," the facility said in an official statement.

While the odds of a strike still seem somewhat low, we'll be sure to keep tabs on this one as it develops.UAW workers at Corvette factory authorize strike originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 09 Apr 2014 13:29:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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