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Delphi UAW members letter to Ron Getterflinger, UAW President October 20, 2003
UAW International Executive Board
re: Appeal President Gettelfinger and Members of UAW International Executive Board: I appeal the decision of the International UAW to combine the ratification votes of GM and Delphi UAW members on the 2003-2007 National Agreements. The combination vote amounted to a gerrymander that effectively disenfranchised UAW members at Delphi who were outnumbered by UAW members at GM nearly four to one. I contend that the decision of the International UAW to combine the votes of UAW members at GM and Delphi as if both parties were voting on the same contract violates the UAW Ethical Practices Code in that it deprived UAW members at Delphi of “a full share in Union self government.” The International UAW justified the combined vote on the assertion that the Delphi contract “mirrors in all respects, the 2003-2007 UAW-GM National Agreement.” There is a major discrepancy in this description of the two separate contracts. Unlike the UAW-GM agreement, the UAW-Delphi agreement includes a “Supplement” which will establish a permanent two tier wage and benefit structure for new hires. The “Supplement” does not apply to UAW-GM members. The two tier wage and benefit “Supplement” is a major distortion in the “mirror” and will permanently alter the character and long term financial prospects of Delphi Local Unions. GM and Delphi are two separate companies and UAW-Delphi members do not have any pension credits with GM. Therefore, UAW-GM members had no reason to believe the votes would be combined. Furthermore, UAW-GM members had no reason to believe that UAW-Delphi members would not be permitted to vote on the “Supplement” because the UAW Constitution Article 19 Section 4 states: “National agreements and supplements thereof shall be ratified by the Local Unions involved.”. Thus, UAW-GM members were not aware that ratification of the GM agreement would impose a two tier wage and benefit structure on their brothers and sisters at Delphi. Furthermore, flowback rights from Delphi to GM do not constitute a just cause for the combined vote as UAW members at American Axle, Lear, and other companies that have flow back rights to GM do not combine their ratification votes. GM workers outnumber Delphi workers almost four to one. Consequently, when UAW-Delphi members learned that the votes on the two separate contracts would be combined, those who opposed the agreement because of the “Supplement” felt that their votes were effectively nullified. Thus, many UAW-Delphi members were discouraged from voting at all. The International UAW was aware that the two tier wage and benefit “Supplement” was controversial and would have a profound impact on UAW members at Delphi. Combining the vote reduced the risk that UAW members at Delphi would reject the contract as UAW-GM members enticed by a $3, 000 signing bonus could easily override the votes of UAW-Delphi members. I contend that combining the votes of GM and Delphi UAW members was in effect a gerrymander that deprived UAW members at Delphi of the “full democratic right” guaranteed by the UAW Ethical Practices Codes. The “Supplement” will have a profound effect on our Local Unions and on our communities. The Preamble of the UAW Constitution states: “The precepts of democracy require that workers through their union participate meaningfully in making decisions affecting their welfare and that of the communities in which they live.” In conclusion, I submit that the only practicable remedy is for UAW-Delphi members to be permitted to vote on the “Supplement” without interference from UAW-GM members who are not affected by the “Supplement.” Fraternally, Gregg Shotwell
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