Filed under: Hirings/Firings/Layoffs, UAW/Unions
Back in 2010, on the day that Bob King was elected president of the United Auto Workers, replacing Ron Gettelfinger, Dennis Williams was elected secretary-treasurer of the union. Last December, Williams was nominated to replace King when King's tenure concluded this month, and as of yesterday, Williams is the new president of the UAW. Gary Walkowicz challenged Williams for the position - Walkowicz ran against King as well - but Williams won all but 55 of the 3,270 votes.
An article in the Detroit News presents members as most worried about the two-tier wage structure enacted after UAW givebacks necessitated by the financial crisis. Union folks say that having veteran floor workers make up to $28 dollars per hour while newer workers make around half that or, at most, $19 per hour, has "caused a major riff among union members." Another, perhaps more pressing, issue is the state of the union itself: Williams might want to begin his four-year term focused on growing a membership that has declined 31 percent in nine years and trying to, as one UAW delegate said, "educate people about its benefits."
All of those missions would fit in with the skills that led to his nomination. The man who worked for Case and has never worked in an auto factory is noted for excellent bargaining skills, his "record as a regional director" and his supposed connections to the current presidential administration. Having worked at the national level in the UAW for more than 25 years and closely with Bob King for the last four, no one expects a sudden change of direction from the leadership, but everyone will be looking to see what Williams can do that King wasn't able to.
There's a press release below from the UAW with more details on the election.
Continue reading Dennis Williams elected UAW president
Dennis Williams elected UAW president originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 05 Jun 2014 16:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.
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