Labor Chief Puts Suppliers On Notice

It was a few short months ago that Bob King, vice president of national organizing for the United Auto Workers union, told Ward's that the union was placing a higher priority on targeting automotive suppliers (see WAW — May '02, p.31).

In mid-June, the union, under new President Ron Gettelfinger, acted on that strategy by striking three Johnson Controls Inc. plants in Shreveport, LA; Oklahoma City; and Earth City, MO. The UAW does not represent the 155 employees who simultaneously walked off the job at JCI's automotive cockpit plant in Northwood, OH. The three UAW plants together represent 550 workers.

The 2-day walkout, settled June 14, forced two General Motors Corp. and three Chrysler Group factories to halt production of several key vehicles, including GM midsize SUVs and compact pickups and Jeep Liberty, Dodge Ram pickup and Chrysler minivans. Affected were GM's Shreveport, LA, and Oklahoma City facilities and Chrysler's Toledo, OH, and two St. Louis plants.

The UAW urged its members to return to work after tentative agreements were reached for the Shreveport, Oklahoma City and Earth City plants. Chrysler's Toledo North plant resumed production June 14 after workers at JCI's Northwood plant went back to work following an agreement to recognize the UAW there.

The shutdowns cost production of an estimated 9,000 units: 3,600 at GM and 5,400 at Chrysler. GM had threatened to use a different supplier if the strike did not end quickly.