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UAW members: No deal with Fiat Chrysler

Published  September 30, 2015 11:36pm EDT
News
FOX 2 Detroit

The United Auto Workers have spoken and the answer appears to be "no" to a four-year deal with Fiat Chrysler.

Workers at Fiat Chrysler voted no on the proposed four-year tentative deal with the United Auto Workers. Decisive no votes came from Sterling Heights Assembly and Toledo Jeep.

Seven large Locals in all voted no, and so for the first time in three decades, union rank and file working for Chrysler tell the UAW "no deal."

"I predicted that Chrysler would not approve that tentative agreement," said Brian Pannebecker, a Ford Motor Co. employee.

Pannebecker has a unique perspective. A current Ford employee, he worked 11 years previously with Chrysler. 

Where does the UAW go from here? The union could start new talks if Fiat Chrysler is so inclined or there could be a strike. Another route could be that the UAW moves on and begin talks with Ford or GM.

"My guess is that they're going to put Chrysler aside," Pannebecker said. "Now that this has been overwhelmingly turned down, they are going to move on to Ford or GM. We have heard that Ford is going to be next. We anticipate them coming to us."

Earlier Wednesday outside Chrysler's Sterling Heights Stamping plant, a Chrysler worker said while a strike is now possible, he does not believe it would be a positive step.

"We hope it does not come down to a strike," David Wilzak said. "I worked 18 years at the Detroit News so I know how it feels and I hope it does not come down to that."

"This contract offer they made to Chrysler was terrible, everybody at Chrysler knew it, and the folks I work with at Ford knew it," Pannebecker said. "It would have been turned down at Ford also."

Some of the rank and file have told FOX 2 a deal will not be approved until the two-tier wage system is fixed and the company promises to stop shipping jobs to Mexico.

According to some of the workers Wednesday,  two-tier system would not be resolved in this contract, they were looking at it eight years down the road. They also want more transparency with jobs to Mexico and a plan for retirees as well as more info on health care.