Union asks automakers to 'keep Janesville in mind'
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A United Auto Workers official said Tuesday that the union would consider the use of entry-wage workers to improve the chances of opening idled plants such as the General Motors facility in Janesville.
JANESVILLE — As it prepares to negotiate a new national contract this summer, a United Auto Workers official said Tuesday that the union would consider the use of entry-wage workers to improve the chances of opening idled plants such as the General Motors facility in Janesville.
Speaking at GM's Orion assembly plant in Michigan, UAW Vice President Joe Ashton said he thinks the chances are "great" that GM will eventually reopen its plants in Janesville and Spring Hill, Tenn. Both facilities are now listed as "standby" and are being retained by the automaker in case it needs additional production capacity.
Ashton, who handles GM bargaining for the UAW, said the union "will look at anything when it comes to negotiations that will retain jobs."
John Dohner Sr., president of UAW Local 95 in Janesville, said representatives of both Local 95 and its regional office have been in contact with Ashton and others in Detroit about the possibility of bringing work back to Janesville.
Dohner said Wednesday that Ashton's comments should not create a sense of false hope for Janesville. Instead, they are merely an indication of the talks likely to occur during this summer's negotiations.
And contrary to local rumors, Dohner said no contractors are inside the Janesville plant readying it for impending production.
"We hear those all the time," he said. "These days, everyone has a cell phone camera, and my standard response has been, 'Snap a couple pictures and show me.'"
The UAW will begin negotiations this summer with domestic automakers to hammer out a new labor contract. The current contract expires in September.
"We just wanted to tell them to keep Janesville in mind," Dohner said.
If either the Janesville or Spring Hill plant reopens, it would likely do so with what the current national contract refers to as a second-tier wage system where new workers are paid about half the $28 per hour wage of longtime UAW workers.
Dohner said that he's uncertain what provisions are in place now to assure that workers who left Janesville for other GM plants would be able to return or what their wages would be.
Much of that, he said, would likely be determined by the new labor contract.
"With a new contract, you're basically starting all over again at page one," he said.
GM officials were unavailable for comment Wednesday.
On Tuesday, Cathy Clegg, GM's vice president of labor relations, said the automaker retained both Janesville and Spring Hill plants "in the event we needed the upside capacity.
"There is no product demand for them to fulfill right now," Clegg told Automotive News. "Absolutely we would like to be able to have demand for our products such that we would be able to turn those plants back on."
Industry analysts have pegged U.S. production capacity at about 17 million vehicles per year. Last year, domestic automakers enjoyed a better year, but sales didn't top 12 million.
The Center for Automotive Research forecasts U.S. auto sales this year will be 13.4 million.
Material from Gazette wire services was used in this story.
Apr 6, 2011 at 5:28 p.m.
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The union has done their part to drive GM to the almighty "bailout". You want the truth, you're right, it's not the union specifically, it's the people that make up the union. For too long, there was very little compromise. You can only take and take for so long. The only reason workers need unions is because they're focused on the almighty dollar and what's in it for them. When people pull their heads out and learn how to unite without a dollar attached, we'll actually go somewhere.
Apr 5, 2011 at 6:25 p.m.
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The union did not "drive General Motors out of Janesville".
People would not support a company that provided a 200 million dollar per year payroll to the local economy. That is what caused the plant to close.
GM made high-end vehicles in Janesville, They made dozens of other models elsewhere that fit just about every niche a buyer might require.
When sales of the Janesville product would get slow, the other GM products would be able to provide profit to the company. GM might do a temporary shutdown to the Janesville Plant until the economy improved and sales of the Janesville product increased again.
Instead of buying GM products and supporting a company that injected close to a billion dollars in ten years into the local economy, people would buy their Hondas and Toyotas, etc. The company went bankrupt from lack of sales.
Enjoy your Toyotas, your Hondas and whatever. Blame Janesville's ills on the unions, let me know how it all works out.
Apr 5, 2011 at 5:56 p.m.
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gmaof3, agreed. That's why I say, leave the union out of things and let's start working towards something called PROGRESS. I spent 10 ten years at that plant witnessing the travesty. It all boils down to leadership.
Apr 5, 2011 at 5:49 p.m.
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Matthew, I agree. But I really don't think ANY auto maker would want to reopen that plant. There is too much "bad blood" here in Janesville, over unions. That said, I would like to see someone do SOMETHING with the old relic. Its an eye sore just sitting there, rotting away.
Apr 5, 2011 at 6:56 a.m.
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How about re-open the plant in Janesville and keep the union on the outside of the fence?? Maybe the workers can do it right this time. We've all seen what the "take, take, take" style of so called leadership brings people, it's time for win-win or no deal leadership to kick in.
Apr 4, 2011 at 8:46 p.m.
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I think after watching all the the union protests up at in Madison, GM has pretty much written Janesville off for good. They'd be stupid not to after that.
Apr 4, 2011 at 8:21 p.m.
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displaced... good for you.. you're skating on thin ice with a union backed job. I really am happy for you! Truly! But ask most of the other union workers about their own financial situation. For most... there IS NO light at the end of the tunnel. Just my personal observation.
Apr 3, 2011 at 3:16 p.m.
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Please, please can we have the crumbs.
Apr 1, 2011 at 5:55 p.m.
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TCB... yep, we will probably NEVER have another company come to Janesville to "resurrect" that relic. What company in their right mind would want to start up the UAW Union mentality that sunk Janesville in the first place? Seriously... move on people. There is NO PLANT TO RESURRECT!
Apr 1, 2011 at 11:12 a.m.
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The stupidity is strong in this thread.. Once again the brilliant people of Janesville collectively stressing their one shared braincell.
Apr 1, 2011 at 10:01 a.m.
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HBhammer....If you read WHAT i said about being sarcastic ...Theses are all things that OTHERS said about GM workers and how Janesville would be just fine WITHOUT GM.I know for a FACT that auto workers earned everything we have !! Got it now ?
Apr 1, 2011 at 9:18 a.m.
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The gullible American public has killed American businesses.
Apr 1, 2011 at 9:18 a.m.
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What company would want to locate in a state where the unions and farmers control the government?
Apr 1, 2011 at 9:10 a.m.
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No auto manufacturer is coming back to Janesville. Its over. GM is thriving in China but its dead in Janesville.
Apr 1, 2011 at 5:54 a.m.
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displacedworker... calm down dude! This is just a blog for people to post opinions! And again... why do you assume all NON union people are well off? Hmmm... I would take my anger out on Unions! What have they done for YOU lately?
Apr 1, 2011 at 2:25 a.m.
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dang people, stop being so dang negative. any jobs that come to janesville are better than none!!!!! get a grip.
Mar 31, 2011 at 10:30 p.m.
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Does this mean GM is not coming back to Janesville?
Mar 31, 2011 at 10:01 p.m.
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So, Janesvillean, by your reasoning, because I don't support idiocy (i.e., the liberals) I don't have to pay my taxes, which turn into teacher salaries, which turn into union dues, which go to the coffers of union thugs and the Democrats. Give it a little thought...
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:06 p.m.
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OH REALLY,NOT AGAIN.
Mar 31, 2011 at 7:04 p.m.
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stomskid... I agree, let's just level the danged thing... no company in its right mind would reopen that relic.
Mar 31, 2011 at 6:47 p.m.
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here we go again just demolish the plant already and stop getting peoples hopes up
Mar 31, 2011 at 6:13 p.m.
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janesvillean... seriously?
"Why should workers give their money to people who will only spend it on candidates who hurt their interests?" Why is it that if you are NON union, you MUST be financing the Republican wheel. Honestly, this is beyond moronic. Our small local companies just make payroll... why do you assume these family owned companies are "spending money" to finance a politician? Again... SERIOUSLY? Wow!
Mar 31, 2011 at 5:44 p.m.
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bigdaddy2, make no mistake, the boycotts are good news -- for businesses that did not act to destroy the ability of unions to represent their members. For those that did, one can only call the boycott deserved. Why should workers give their money to people who will only spend it on candidates who hurt their interests? It is, after all, a free country. The businesses made their bed, now let them lie in it.
Mar 31, 2011 at 4:17 p.m.
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This story will never die, with the age of the building and it sitting idle. You would think it would be a lot cheaper to build a new one.
But the unions had to come out with some good news today, because what happen yesterday with all the boycotts to all your local business.
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