Nexteer workers wary of proposed contract

BUENA VISTA TOWNSHIP Earlier this week, the 2,100 union employees at Nexteer Automotive in Saginaw County got their first look at the proposed five-year contract.

The first reviews were positive, touting hundreds of additional full-time jobs, but some are questioning just how many jobs the contract would create, and many believe the new deal is nothing but concessions.

While union workers at Nexteer look over the new contract, they have also been handed another document, which highlights the changes from the current contract.

Not everyone is on board with the changes.

"This is a pro-management contract," Joe Ward said..

Ward has worked at Nexteer since 2006, likes his job and really likes his pay raises. But he says he will lose those raises if the new contract is ratified by the members of UAW Local 699.

"This would cost me a raise I just received in April. It would take my next raise, which would be January of next year and it would freeze any possibility of any wage increases for a good two-and-a-half  years."

"They are going back to what they were making on January 3," Local 699 President Troy Newberry said.

Newberry points out those raises will be replaced by bonuses, but added that he hears the complaints from union members. "We are hearing them at the roll outs - a lot of questions, confusion out there. There is a lot to soak in on this contract."

Union leadership says if the contract is passed, 300 temporary workers would become full time, but with a wage freeze. Another 200 jobs are also supposed to be created.

Ward doesn't believe it. "They've promised us jobs before."

Ward wants to know why the rush to a new contract anyway? "We have a current contract and it should honored right until the end of the contract."

Newberry says the rush is General Motors wants to sell the auto supplier. "I don't know that all these same provisions and all these things were able to get will be available at that time under a new owner or whatever."

According to Newberry, General Motors wants to have a front runner to purchase Nexteer identified by the end of July.