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Strategies & Market Trends : Graham and Doddsville -- Value Investing In The New Era -- Ignore unavailable to you. Want to Upgrade?

To: porcupine --''''> who wrote (1376)	2/27/1999 1:35:00 PM
From: porcupine --''''>	Respond to of 1722

UAW Leadership at Saturn Replaced --'''':< By KARIN MILLER= AP Business Writer= NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) Workers at Saturn Corp. have picked a new team of union leaders who campaigned in favor of more traditional labor relations at the auto maker. Saturn was created by General Motors Corp. in 1986 with a goal of creating uniquely cooperative relations not just between employees and customers _ it promotes itself as ''a different kind of car company'' _ but workers and management. However, United Auto Workers Local 1853 president Ron Hankins said Saturn workers chose him and his slate of candidates this week because ''apparently they had felt our leaders were just a little too close to management.'' Hankins said Saturn's partnership agreement, which gives workers a say in company operations, makes it difficult for union leaders to keep their distance from management. ''Probably after 12 years, they'll think I'm too close and throw my butt out,'' he said Thursday. Mike Bennett, ousted Wednesday as bargaining chairman after 12 years as a union leader, was defeated by Robert ''Jeep'' Williams, former local vice president and longtime advocate of replacing the agreement with the national contract that covers all other UAW members. Bennett said replacing the contract was not mentioned during the election. But, he added, ''my suspicions are that at least we'll head in that direction.'' Williams did not return phone calls seeking comment. Saturn President Cynthia Trudell, who took over two months ago, said she was surprised by the vote but cautioned it was too early to tell what impact the leadership turnover would have. Hankins said the union's new leaders plan ''no drastic changes'' at the plant, but would like to restructure the management-union teams that run the assembly lines. ''There is more direction from management saying 'This is what we're doing and how,' and the teams have less say so,'' he said. ''That was probably the biggest issue (in the election). They don't feel in control of their business any more.'' Last year, dissident employees forced a referendum on Saturn's unique contract with GM. Workers voted overwhelmingly to keep the contract rather than abandon it for the contract other UAW workers have. Under the ''risk-and-reward'' pay program, Saturn employees average about 12 percent less in salary than GM's other workers but can add to their base pay by hitting certain goals. Bennett also said the leadership changes could threaten a plan to build a new sport utility vehicle at Saturn's plant in Spring Hill. He said union leaders had been working on the issues for several months, but ''that will all come to a halt now'' with the new administration. In September, the union announced that General Motors had agreed to spend $230 million to add a production line for the SUV. The GM board of directors is expected to consider the proposal in April.