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Posted on Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 7:02 a.m.

Same old UAW lurks behind 'extreme makeover' version

By Guest Column

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Charles Owns

You’ve probably heard about the hit reality TV franchise “Extreme Makeover,” featuring home improvement wizards who sweep into town and rehabilitate long-neglected dwellings. The plot line is fun, but predictable: A home teetering on collapse is magically repaired and everybody lives happily ever after.

Another, much more consequential extreme makeover is happening right before our eyes in the form of the United Auto Workers’ bid to remain relevant in post-bailout America.

Just five months ago, freshly-minted UAW President Bob King appeared before the Center for Automotive Research and was refreshingly - almost shockingly - candid about how the UAW helped bring down the domestic auto industry.

In the past, Mr. King confessed, “It was the company’s job to worry about profits, and the union’s job to worry about getting the workers their fair share.”

He said the old UAW “was not primarily focused on the needs of the consumers.” Yesterday’s UAW, Mr. King said, “fell into a pattern with our employers where we saw each other as adversaries rather than partners.”

The old union focused on job banks, didn’t face the threats and opportunities associated with globalization, and put job security ahead of product quality.

Mr. King denounced these startling issues as “outmoded and unsuited for the 21st century.”

Having implicated his union in bringing Detroit to its knees, he then claimed credit for their recovery saying, “We now produce the highest quality vehicles in the world.” Mr. King said his new focus is to organize Americans working for international manufacturers in other parts of the U.S. - which he says can only be done in a cooperative manner.

It is very hard to argue with much of Mr. King’s candor during his August speech, and I welcome stronger relations between management and labor. But does anybody really believe a nearly 75-year-old organization can completely alter its fundamentals in a matter of five months?

A casual observer may be surprised to hear that as soon as Mr. King assumed his presidency in June 2010, just two months before his mea culpa speech calling for a reinvention of the UAW, he told the media that he planned to “pound” one of the global manufacturers and charged that it “put profits before people.”

Soon thereafter, the UAW picketed dealerships representing foreign manufacturers, an old-school tactic King would brand as “outmoded” a few weeks later.

Confused? Join the club. Which Bob King should foreign automakers be prepared to deal with: The hardnosed union boss who in June sought to “pound” non-union manufacturers into submission, or the evenhanded, new age Bob King that seeks to build a partnership based on mutual respect?

To summarize: Mr. King acknowledges the UAW played a part in wrecking the domestic auto industry. His union ignored both the risks and rewards of globalization. It also ignored consumers in favor of job security and refused to change with the times. If international manufacturers don’t agree with the UAW‘s terms, the union will “pound” on them.

But things are different now, says Bob King. An extreme makeover for the UAW in five short months? Even Hollywood wouldn’t try to sell that to its viewers.

Charles S. Owens is the Michigan state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, a lobbying organization representing small businesses.

Comments

Jay Thomas

Tue, Jan 25, 2011 : 2:08 a.m.

The UAW never thanked the American people for the bailout. They have an entitlement mentality, which is why they would later try to get the taxpayers to bail out their pensions... when the average taxpayer has nothing so generous. They believe that their members should make more than a college graduate for doing a job that anyone can learn in two weeks. Which is a reason that many Americans can not even afford a new car. The normal bankruptcy procedures would have let the auto companies get out of their union contracts if not for the political interference of the Democrats. But I guess that's what 60 million in campaign contributions gets you.

walker101

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 12:47 p.m.

Approximately 85% of the state's 235,000 employees (not including higher education employees) are unionized. As the governor noted during his $83 billion budget roll-out, over the past decade pension costs for public employees increased 2,000%. State revenues increased only 24% over the same period. A Schwarzenegger adviser wrote in the San Jose Mercury News in the past few days that, "This year alone, $3 billion was diverted to pension costs from other programs." There are now more than 15,000 government retirees statewide who receive pensions that exceed $100,000 a year, according to the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility. In order to have a pension of $100K you would have to make about $200K in annual salaries? So I guess the middle class would have to be in that range of income, the only UAW members that are in that bracket are your representatives? Go UAW.

Stuart Brown

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 10:50 a.m.

The best part about this article (what's not pointed out) is that the small businesses of this state depend on the UAW payrole dollars flowing into state and local coffers to drive business to the levels it's been at. If it were not for the UAW, the economy of this state would never have been what it was. The lesson I draw from this is that for folks at the NFIB, enough is never enough. What a bunch of anti-social ingrates! For employed people moronic enough to think that if the UAW folks get less, they get more; the laws of capitalism have a rude awakening for you! Think of it this way, the UAW sets the floor you are standing on; the lower the UAW's floor, the lower yours!

stunhsif

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 5:36 a.m.

And the same old "robber baron" mentality lurks behind the "New" UAW now that they more than helped "bankrucpt" Generous Motors and got away with it "Scott Free" !!! I've bought or lease 24 GM vehicles over the past 25 years, my next car will not be from Generous Motors! I''m thinking a Honda from Marysville Oh will work very well, none of them are beholden to any union ! Good Day No Luck Needed

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 2:21 p.m.

&quot;. . . and got away with it 'Scott Free' !!!&quot; Only in some people's anti-union fantasies. See the following for but one example of exactly the opposite: <a href="http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/may2009/db20090526_240387.htm" rel='nofollow'>http://www.businessweek.com/bwdaily/dnflash/content/may2009/db20090526_240387.htm</a> Good Night and Good Luck

Monica R-W

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 8:05 a.m.

Is it bankruptcy or bankrupt? Amazing what a little word spell check can do!

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 3:10 a.m.

. . . and the same old &quot;robber baron&quot; mentality lurks behind Mr. Owens and the National Federation of Independent Business. Good Night and Good Luck

spartyinmi

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 2:03 a.m.

There was a time and a place for the UAW. That time and place have both passed. I have worked next to UAW workers for 10 years and seen &quot;the good&quot;, &quot;the bad&quot;, and &quot;the ugly&quot;. My issue with the UAW is as follows: &quot;The good&quot; need no representation - they deserve what they make and they would make it regardless of whether they were represented by a union. &quot;The bad&quot; and &quot;the ugly&quot; however are protected individuals who lack accountability, professionalism, and effort. To the UAW they all pay the same dues so they are all protected. There are private and public businesses that does not need a union to represent their workers because they are treated fairly and compensated fairly based on the hard work and professionalism. I know this because I work for one.

Mick52

Fri, Jan 28, 2011 : 11:44 p.m.

I agree. But the fact remains that there is bad management. I was a UAW member in 70s for summer jobs during two summers. Grateful for the pay, but their work ethic was horrible. Another union I had to join was worthless. We need worker protection for those with bad management but unions are killing Michigan.

snapshot

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 12:20 a.m.

Good article. Unions represent 12-15% of the workforce and in Michigan the debt burden is over 54 billion unfunded dollars. The UAW lost my support when I saw the former president Ron Gettlefinger rolling his eyes at the congressional commitee giving them a taxpayer handout. How unappreciative can you be? The UAW is on the taxpayer welfare system as far as I'm concerned and they are saying thanks with a series of lawsuits (Delphi for one). This article puts it much nicer but we can't afford these monopoly unions anymore.

Stuart Brown

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 10:45 p.m.

Thanks Charles Owens for blaming the people who actually make things for screwing things up! The grifter class on Wall Street (aka, The Superior Beings) have no culpability for screwing up the economy by engineering two massive Ponzi Schemes in a row; the the stock bubble followed by the housing bubble! That's right, the people who engage in productive labor are low-life's and chumps who are barely worth minimum wage and should be grateful for any scraps their gracious Superior Being Bosses throw them from their table! Don't they know that lower wages equal higher living standards? Don't they know that the problem is that they just want too much and if they would just realize that nobody is entitled to anything, everything would be ok? Don't they know that the natural resources of this third stone from the sun (the Earth) belong to the Superior Beings who own the business of this planet? And rightfully so. You see, If you paid the little people what the Superior Beings get, why they'd quit their jobs and run off to Florida! The Superior Beings keep working by graciously sacrificing their hard earned capital while having to put up with their whining workers (who are always shiftless and lazy and just want to get paid for doing nothing!) Thanks Charles Owens! Productivity is up 80% since 1980 but most people in this country are worse off than they then; I'm sure you've set us right on who the blame belongs to!

Joel Batterman

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 10:11 p.m.

It's disappointing that AnnArbor.com would provide a platform for this sort of blather. In future, please leave it to The Economist and Wall Street Journal to rally the charge against American workers.

ShadowManager

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 4:15 a.m.

Probably doubly ironic in that the AnnArbor.com is probably gonna be a victim of the free market in a few years when it goes out of business.

Monica R-W

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 9:06 p.m.

Columns like these are why Americans are misinformed, daily. Specifically, this comment in the article: &quot;Soon thereafter, the UAW picketed dealerships representing foreign manufacturers, an old-school tactic King would brand as "outmoded" a few weeks later.&quot; Toyota was picked for two reasons-two bring light to braking issue which were causing deaths and injuries to buyers of their cars. In other words, a manufacturing issue. Since the author of this article is the 'state director of independent business' more likely than not, he was a owner or investor in one of the 'independent dealerships' that were initially dismissing the braking issue as 'driver error'. That is until Toyota was forced to recall Camry's, Corolla's, Matrix's and Prius cars and pay millions, by the Federal Government. <a href="http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/toyota/toyota-to-pay-record-32-4-million-government-fine-for-safety-re/19771302/" rel='nofollow'>http://www.dailyfinance.com/story/toyota/toyota-to-pay-record-32-4-million-government-fine-for-safety-re/19771302/</a> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/runaway-toyotas-problem-persists-recall/story?id=9618735" rel='nofollow'>http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/runaway-toyotas-problem-persists-recall/story?id=9618735</a> <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/toyota-recall-toyota-hide-life-saving-information/story?id=9740022" rel='nofollow'>http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/RunawayToyotas/toyota-recall-toyota-hide-life-saving-information/story?id=9740022</a> The UAW also set up the picket in front of various Toyota dealerships to bring light the company's cuts in quality to save the all-mighty corporation profit line and stock shares. In the pickets, they clearly stated that this was not against the hard working non-union line employees at Toyota plants in the USA. They were for unionizing them and fighting to save jobs in California were Toyota closed its only unionized plant in the USA in 2009. <a href="http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20100806/toyota-executive-says-no-flaw-with-electronics.htm#" rel='nofollow'>http://www.ibtimes.com/contents/20100806/toyota-executive-says-no-flaw-with-electronics.htm#</a> A news and even Op/Ed stories review BOTH sides the situation, even if personally one disagrees with the other side. In this 'article' does none of that. Just spin on behalf of so-called independent businesses. Don't blame the UAW that Toyota car sales are sinking. Blame Toyota!

denise1inaa

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 5:55 p.m.

The unions were directly responsible for the formation of the middle class. Why? Fair wages. And in the unions my parents and grandparents belonged to, if you did not do the work right, if you didn't put out a good product . . . you got let go. Now that the unions have been demonized and legislated out of business . . . guess what? We no longer have a viable middle class . . . what is left of it is dying out. Never let a stranger into you cab, your home or your heart UNLESS he is a friend of labor.

Mr. Ed

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 4:04 p.m.

You need to look at the history of the Unions and the labor movement from the 40's 50's and 60's. The current labor laws were the direct result of the labor movement and the Unions. The 40 hour work week is one example of the labor law that came from the Unions. The current OSHA and work place safety came from the labor movement. We all have benefited from the Unions in our working environments. The Unions or labor force have done a great job in protecting the working class of America. The Unions are a check and balance system for a fair true form of democracy in the corporations. They both need each other to reach a common goal, a standard of living we all get live with. The standard of living is on the decline in America because of the Global economy. A corporation's can move it's business to another country and pay the work force pennies on the dollar with no working rules or safety rules. How long before the new country work force will organize? How long before another labor movement in America. We all have to have jobs and not at 7.00 buck's per hour.

aataxpayer

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 3:59 p.m.

Why does big business want FAIR trade when their patented technology is stolen but shout out FREE trade forever when the topic is slave wages?

Cash

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 3:40 p.m.

Dear Ben, When workers ask for fair pay, they are extorting???? What do you think of the extortion in corporate America...i.e....give us all tax-free existence or we will move to Mexico? Oh wait, that's capitalism at it's finest.

Ben

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 3:47 p.m.

What is &quot;fair pay&quot;.. modern unions have gotten away from the fundamentals on which they were formed.

AlphaAlpha

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:39 p.m.

It is ironic, and sad, that a union backed president signed key WTO and NAFTA legislation which enabled the offshoring and outsourcing we struggle with today.

Edward R Murrow's Ghost

Mon, Jan 24, 2011 : 2:16 p.m.

It is, indeed. Which makes Republican vitriol toward Clinton all the more curious. He was the best moderate Republican to serve as president since Ike. Good Night and Good Luck

stunhsif

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:35 p.m.

Great column Charles, agree 100%. I have always bought American made cars, 11 new GM vehicles in the past 24 years either leased or purchased. Now that the taxpayers bailed out the UAW, I will never buy another GM car. The bailout benefited us here in Michigan ,Ohio, Indiana and Wisconsin but taxpayers elsewhere really took it in the shorts. I see a new Ohio built Honda somewhere down the road in my garage, maybe even a Toyota,Hyundai or Kia as well.

Nancy Jowske

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:32 p.m.

Cash, You worked in the public sector. End of story.

Cash

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:36 p.m.

Nope it is not the end of the story. It was a UAW shop. It is part of the story.

Cash

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:17 p.m.

Nancy, Your experience sounds very different than mine. As an administrator, I never met any of those &quot;union bosses&quot; you seem to have known. I did meet workers who represented their co workers as stewards and did an excellent job of it. I sat across the table from them at negotiations. We respected each other. We managed to negotiate a contract that may not have pleased everyone, but did give us the appropriate work and safety rules. It worked well.

braggslaw

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:15 p.m.

They are dead, they just do not know it It is laughable that they think they can organize the transplants

Cash

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:10 p.m.

I couldn't help but notice that some of the people who righteously defended the U of M administrator who was being paid $182K PUBLIC FUNDS for months on a medical leave while working somewhere else..... are among those who repeat the mantra &quot;union workers are lazy&quot; &quot; &quot;unions only look out for themselves&quot;.....who do you thing highly paid non-union administrators think of??? I had to chuckle thinking how the U of M fiasco with the &quot;medical leave&quot; would not happen for long at EMU....because unionized workers do not have to fear intimidating e-mails and threats of action if anyone talks to the press etc. The Whistle blowers are alive and well at EMU. I saw it in action for years. And I am a retired administrator. The union doesn't just make them strong...it makes the entire organization strong.

Nancy Jowske

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 2:07 p.m.

Here's a novel thought -- many (not all) corporations treat their workers badly AND CONTEMPORARY UNIONS DO NOTHING TO CHANGE THAT. All this &quot;union versus corporate greed&quot; babble is a false dichotomy. Union bosses are lower paid, less skilled, more self-righteous versions of corporate bosses. And at the end of the day both are interested only in picking your pocket, they just employ different ruses to do so.

David Briegel

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.

As if small business and huge International corporations have anything in common. As if small business is threatened by unions. Two silly notions. Unfortunately for us all, Globalization means child labor, slave labor, prison labor, plundering the natural resources and polluting the environment. You know, American values ! For cheap stuff and increased profits ! Exploitation anyone?

jondhall

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 1:42 p.m.

How about the UAW, SEIU, MEA, AFLCIO, and the Teamsters have a party. One other than the Democratic party. Who would come? Not many these unions all promote one agenda, the &quot;Socialism Of America&quot;. As soon as one wakes up it is clear to see. They want the &quot;same for all&quot; no matter who works harder, smarter or faster. I for one says &quot;no thanks&quot;. We are now in a Global economy like it or not, if the America corporation is going to survive, they have to be competitive. Outdated works rules that promote non competitiveness have to go. By the way you &quot;municipal workers&quot; with the golden parachutes, someday they might not open. This country is way behind on funding those pensions, your Democratic leaders gave you to get elected. There you go , what a way to start your day and your week.

Nancy Jowske

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 1:21 p.m.

When I was a union organizer at the end of the day my boss never asked me how many workers I helped or how far I got &quot;organizing working America&quot;. The one and only thing that mattered was how many union cards I was able to trick, coerce or pester workers into signing. Unions are BUSINESSES which need to sell union representation in order to stay in business. And every international union out there is a FAILING BUSINESS that is trying to maintain crippling high overhead with a rapidly shrinking customer base. And all the people who work in the union business, like Mr. King, want to pay their mortgage, send their kids to college and retire with healthcare for life and a fully funded pension plan before the whole house of cards falls in. And the only way to do that is to say desperately invent new strong arm &quot;strategies&quot; and media campaigns to capture more dues paying members. Of course they could also commit to revolutionary internal reforms like honest truly democratic union elections, complete fiscal transparency and a genuine commitment to member-driven member-owned unionism -- when pigs fly.

johnnya2

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 1:51 p.m.

The number of people you sign up is how many people you helped. So your boss DID ask you. The business is only failing due to those who insist on destroying peoples right to assemble and organize. (typically republicans). &quot;charged that it "put profits before people." Seems like the EXACT reason a union is created. Businesses that treat their employees like disposable assets deserve to be taken to task. If you would like a little history lesson. Check the economy when we had the largest share of unionized households. Typically only one member of the household needed to work, the middle class was strongest. The gap between corporate CEO's and the regular worker was the smallest. In todays world, the CEO's take 1000's times what a single worker does, and when THEIR decisions leave a business failing, they get out with &quot;severance&quot; or retention bonuses. I bet the CEO at Borders has a nice paycheck still, while he is asking the vendors and employees to bite the bullet. Why not cut his salary to be based on profitability. He can make $50k a year until there is a profit. Then if and when they reach profitability again he can get more. As for the UAW, I would say FMC is making HUGE profits (as is GM) so why aren't they giving back to their employees? If you pay your employees well, it helps the ENTIRE economy. An auto worker gets paid more, he spends money on a better house, a better car, goes out to local retail establishments, takes trips, goes to concerts, etc. When more people do that, the people who work in those industries make more money. They can then buy better and nicer cars. Paying more to a 100k autoworkers will help the economy far more than paying a CEO that extra money.

Cash

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 1:04 p.m.

What are unions ? Organized working America What is NFIB? Organized corporate America. What do you expect this guy to say?

ronaldduck

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 12:39 p.m.

The NFIB is notoriously anti union. Take anything they say with a grain of salt. My wife is a member so I know from which I speak.

eastsidemom

Sun, Jan 23, 2011 : 12:38 p.m.

I listened to Bob King on &quot;Are You Right?&quot; yesterday and he made a lot of sense. I stand behind the UAW and all the great work they have done for the middle class, for bringing us the concept of the weekend and a living wage for all workers. I hope for the continued health and growth for the UAW-Solidarity Forever!