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On eve of contract talks, UAW raises strike pay

UAW retirees rally for return of cost of living increase for pensions and Christmas bonus, on eve of four year contract talks with Detroit automakers.
Tracy Samilton
/
Michigan Radio
UAW retirees rally for return of cost of living increase for pensions and Christmas bonus, on eve of four year contract talks with Detroit automakers.
UAW retirees rally for return of cost of living increase for pensions and Christmas bonus, on eve of four year contract talks with Detroit automakers.
Credit Tracy Samilton / Michigan Radio
/
Michigan Radio
UAW retirees rally for return of cost of living increase for pensions and Christmas bonus, on eve of four year contract talks with Detroit automakers.

United Auto Workers delegates from across the country are meeting in Detroit this week.  

The convention will set the terms for talks on the next four year contract with Detroit automakers and other UAW represented companies.

UAW President Gary Jones says there will be extra security for workers as the union heads to the bargaining table.

"The international executive board has decided to raise the strike pay from $200 per week to $250 a week, effective immediately," Jones told delegates to cheers on Monday. 

He said strike pay would go up another $25 a week on January 1, 2020.

Delegates will consider a wide range of resolutions, from eliminating lower wage tiers for workers with less seniority, to protecting pensions, health care, and profit sharing.

UAW retirees do not send delegates to the convention, but many came nonetheless, to rally inside Cobo Center and advocate for a return of cost of living adjustments, which the union agreed to give up during the bankruptcies of GM and Chrysler during the Great Recession.

Copyright 2019 Michigan Radio

Tracy Samilton covers the auto beat for Michigan Radio. She has worked for the station for 12 years, and started out as an intern before becoming a part-time and, later, a full-time reporter. Tracy's reports on the auto industry can frequently be heard on Morning Edition and All Things Considered, as well as on Michigan Radio. She considers her coverage of the landmark lawsuit against the University of Michigan for its use of affirmative action a highlight of her reporting career.