With negotiations between the UAW and the Big Three set to open next year, FCA head Sergio Marchionne has already fired the first shots, calling for an end to the two-tier wage system and a new pay structure, tied to profit-sharing.
Speaking to Reuters, Marchionne discussed his plan to eliminate the two-tier structure, replacing it with a yet-untested system
"The way you do this is you grandfather the Tier 1s," Marchionne said of the veteran workers. "You make them a dying class and you build a Tier 2 structure that sets the wage mechanism for the next generation.
"When you have a bumper year, you pay them as much as a Tier 1 would make if not more," he added of the lower-tier wage scale. "But if I'm in the toilet because the markets are down or GM is successful, or Ford, and then we go down in earnings, then I think at the end of the day you share the pain with the company."
While the UAW did not comment on Marchionne's proposal, the UAW has historically been against two-tier wages as well. In my view, Marchionne's proposal is interesting, in that it lets the hourly workers have some "skin in the game" when it comes to their own financial success, as well as a feeling of pride and accomplishment when FCA succeeds. Given that FCA's American units like Jeep and Ram are practically carrying the company, the intangible elements would be a strong motivator – of course, it also leaves workers exposed to managerial incompetence, the prospect of other business units dragging down overall performance or both. Let us know what you think in the comments.
from The Truth About Cars http://ift.tt/Jh8LjA
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