Reject Tiers of All Kinds
UAWD Priority resolution for
the 2023 Bargaining Convention
Resolution to Reject Tiers of All Kinds
“No corruption, no concessions, no tiers” has been UAWD’s rallying cry. Now is the time to eliminate tiers from our contracts in upcoming negotiations across all sectors. We must uphold the principle of: equal pay for equal work!
Background
- UAW’s adoption of tiers across multiple sectors has devastated unity among rank-and-file members & greatly weakened our union.
- We must bring an end to divisive bargaining and return to the time-honored principle of Equal Pay for Equal Work.
- At the 2019 Bargaining Convention, Delegate Scott Houldieson proposed an amendment to “Eliminate the Gap” instead of the written resolution to “Bridge the Gap.” This amendment was rejected.
- Auto: In 2007, tiers were introduced across the Big Three employers: Ford, GM, and Chrysler (now Stellantis). “Legacy” workers hired before 2007 reached top pay in a few years and had pensions. “Second tier” workers hired after 2007 faced a much longer progression scale and will no longer receive pensions. Temps, aka “supplemental workers,” face even worse conditions.
- Agricultural Implements: Tiers were introduced in John Deere in 1997. In their historic 2021 strike, Deere workers voted down their first tentative agreement by a 90% margin before finally ratifying an agreement that preserved pensions for new hires and included significant wage increases. At Caterpillar, tiers were introduced in 1998, in a contract filled with concessions that was only approved by 54% of members.
- Higher education & other sectors: De facto tiers already exist in sectors outside of manufacturing. In academia, an egregious gap exists between the pay, benefits, and job security of tenure-track faculty and adjunct faculty. Our union should seek to reduce this gap, and avoid the introduction of new tiers in the academic workforce.
Opposition from the Administration Caucus
- The AC introduced tiers into the automotive and agricultural implements sectors. Tiers are integral to the AC’s philosophy of company unionism and bowing to the company’s “logic” of concessions.
- The AC has repeatedly sent contracts with tiers to the membership. Members responded by voting down contracts with tiers by 90% at John Deere. Ending tiers was also a top rank-and-file demand in the 2019 GM strike. The strike concluded with some minimal progress towards “bridging the gap” in the wage scale progression between legacy workers and second tier workers and temps—but not enough. As one media outlet put it, “All in all, the massive work stoppage did little to move the needle for employees.”
Why no tiers Matters to Our Union Democracy
- We failed to amend our Constitution and kicked the can down the road to the Bargaining Convention. We now have a chance to follow through on what we started.
- In 2023, negotiations will take place with the Big Three that will be a critical opportunity to bring an end to these divisions in our membership.
Why no tiers matters to us
- As a second tier worker, I am the living, breathing result of the concessions our leadership has made. I have no guaranteed pension & no post-employment health care.
- As an auto worker, I’ve seen the devastating effects of tiers on our unity & bargaining power, leading to years of concessionary contracts
- As a legal services worker, I fight for equal justice for all. Contract tiers guarantee that workers will be treated unequally.
- As a higher ed worker, I already see de facto tiers in my workplace. By rejecting tiers, our union can send a powerful message to higher ed.
- As a retiree, I believe new workers should have access to pensions like the one I now enjoy.
Draft Resolution
Whereas, different types of tiers in the manufacturing sector, in particular in the Big Three auto contracts, have historically had the worst transgressions, including:
- traditional tiers, based on the date a worker was hired, which have had an enormous impact on workers’ pay, vacation benefits, and pensions and post-retirement benefits
- tiers established on the basis of work at designated facilities within a corporation
- tiers established on the basis of work at wholly-owned subsidiaries, such as GM subsystems and GM LLC
- tiers established on the basis of work at joint ventures
Whereas, tiered systems have been put in place and undermined solidarity across sectors, including the academic sector, where tiers, for equal work, have been established on the basis of a worker’s job title, degree being pursued, hours worked per week, and funding source.
Whereas, tiered systems have left a generation of workers behind and provided them with less purchasing power than the generation before them;
Whereas, our union was founded on the principle of equal pay for equal work;
Therefore be it resolved, that the UAW shall recommit to our founding principles and shall reject management proposals for contract language that includes tiers of any fashion from all sectors which we represent, striking if necessary to achieve these goals;
Be it further resolved, the UAW’s initial proposal during bargaining will not include any tiered system of pay or benefits;
Be it further resolved, that the UAW shall embark on an aggressive organizing campaign and dedicate resources to organizing lower-tier workers to stay and fight alongside more senior workers toward the rejection of tiers;
Be it further resolved, this effort should be part of a UAW-wide strategy to reject tiers of all kinds in all management proposals.
2023 Convention
Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) is a grassroots movement of UAW members united in the common goal of creating a more democratic and accountable union.
Follow what we're fighting for at the 2023 UAW Bargaining Convention.
