UAW says new pact with GM preserves health benefits

Sep 19 2011

The New York Times: U.A.W. Reaches Tentative Agreement With General Motors
The United Automobile Workers and General Motors said late Friday that they had reached a tentative agreement on a new labor contract. ... The union declined to give details but said the agreement included improved profit-sharing and "significant improvements to health care benefits" (Bunkley, 9/16). 

The Associated Press: GM, UAW Agree On New 4-Year Contract
The union said in a statement that it successfully fought efforts by the company to weaken its defined-benefit pension plan, which is among the best in U.S. manufacturing. The company also wanted health care cuts, but the union protected those benefits and made improvements, the statement said. But it did not say if workers will see higher co-pays or monthly premiums (Durbin and Krisher, 9/17). 

The Wall Street Journal: GM Reaches Deal With UAW
No specific details about the tentative agreement were released immediately. ... As the original, four-year contract was set to run out this month, the Detroit Three auto makers started formal UAW talks in late July, hoping to negotiate reduced health-care costs and to keep a lid on wages. They put forward an offer for profit-sharing programs that reward workers when the companies are profitable and allow them to reduce labor costs during lean times. The union sought wage and benefit increases as well as commitments from the auto makers to produce more models in their U.S. plants, which would secure and add union jobs (Dolan, 9/17).