DETROIT, Michigan: With General Motors Corp. inching towards an initial public offering of stock, nearly 200 workers and retirees have turned up for a demonstration outside the gates of United Auto Workers headquarters, underscoring the automaker's tenuous relations with union members. Saturday's demonstration was organized by workers from automaker's big assembly plant in Orion, Michigan to protest the UAW's decision, allowing GM to assign workers with seniority of 10 years to a second-wage tier that would require them to take a 50 percent cut in pay. “They didn't tell us anything until the very last minute,” said Nick Waun, a member of UAW Local 5960. He noted union officials had kept quiet about the potential for steep pay cuts for more than a year. “Workers have the right to vote on pay cuts,” he said. Gary Walkowicz, a bargaining committee member at the Ford Motor Co. pickup plant, also spoke at the rally, saying the issue of what happens at the Orion plant is vital to all union members. – Agence France
