United Auto Workers (UAW) (official name: Automobile United, Aerospace & Agricultural Implement Workers off America International Union ) is one of most important the trade union S of North America with approximately 700  000 members with the the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico, organized in approximately 950 sections. It is affiliated with the International federation of the organizations of workers of the metallurgy and with AFL-CIO.

History

The UAW was founded in May 1935 with Detroit (Michigan) by the American Federation off Labor (AFL). 1881 by Samuel Gompers, goal At its 1935 convention, has caucus off industrial unions led by John L. Lewis formed the Committee off Industrial Organizations, the original CIO, within the AFL. Within one year, the AFL suspended the unions in the CIO, and thesis, including the UAW, formed the Congress off Industrial Organizations (CIO).

The UAW was one off the first major unions that was willing to organize African-American workers, which increased its ability to garner enough support to win recognition through election despite the racial damage off many workers. -->

The UAW quickly met success with its strikes of sit-in, initially with the General Motors with Atlanta (Georgia) in 1936, in a more known way with Flint, starting from the movement launched the December 30th 1936. This strike concludes in February 1937 after the mediation from the governor from the Michigan Frank Murphy, which negotiated the recognition of the trade union by GM. It was obtained the next month at Chrysler. Ford fought the UAW, but had to fold in 1941.

The entered in war against the Japan made vote with the UAW a renouncement of the strike during the conflict. In 1946, Walter Reuther became about it president until his death in 1970. It negotiated many advantages, in particular on the health costs, initially with a manufacturer then made it extend to the others. The workmen of the UAW became among most favoured of the country and the UAW attracted also workers of other sectors like the aerospace one.

The situation was turned over in the Seventies with the oil crisis. The crisis culminated in 1979 with the bankruptcy of Chrysler. The factory shutdowns and unemployment, reinforced by foreign competition, caused serious social damage, as could show it Michael Moore in Roger & Me . The American employers, confronted with Japanese competition in particular and the advantages acquired of paid to which only are subjected very little its competitors, fact pressure on the UAW to negotiate an abandonment of certain social skills for its employees and reprocessed. The movement was reinforced in 2005 after the bankruptcy of the equipment supplier Delphi.

In 1985, the Canadians left the UAW to form the Canadian Auto Workers autonomous. With the crisis of the American manufacturers, competed with by the local establishments of the Asian manufacturers, the UAW would have in 2006 less 600  000 members, against a top of 1,5 million in 1979.

The UAW is since 2005 in difficult position at General Motors, with which it must negotiate suppressions of employment and advantage in term of cover health to avoid the bankruptcy of the group and the equipment supplier Delphi. Its president Ron Gettelfinger stated in June 2006 that its priority was to support the Democratic party, by devoting to it 60 million dollars of his reserves of strike.

With the call of the trade union United Auto Workers: 73000 employees of GM put themselves in strike in September 2007 about the renewal of the wage contract.

Henry Ford had promised that " The UAW would organize Ford over my dead body." Ford selected Harry Bennett to keep the union out off the company, and the Ford Service Department was set up ace year internal security, intimidation, and espionage links within the company, and quickly gained has reputation off using violence against union organizers and sympathizers. It took until 1941 for Ford to approved to has Collective bargaining agreement with the UAW. By the end off the year, the Japanese attack one natural Pearl Harbor dramatically changed the off the UAW' S organizing.

The UAW' S Executive Board voted to make has " No strike" pledge to ensure that the war effort would not Be hindered by strikes, and that pledge was later reaffirmed by the membership.

After the war, Walter Reuther won the race to Be president off the UAW, and served for almost 25 years -- from 1946 until his death in year small airplane accident in 1970 -- leading the union during one off the most prosperous periods for workers in U.S. history. In the 1960s, the UAW used its strategy off negotiating has contract with one major car maker and applying it to the other to secure has number off new benefits for car workers, including fully paid hospitalization and sick leave benefits General At Motors, profit sharing in American Motors. The UAW also grew to include workers in other major industries such ace the agricultural-implement Aerospace and industries.

During this time, UAW members became one off the best paid groups off industrial workers in the country -- many buying second homes in the country, boats, and earning enough to move to the suburbs and send to their children to college. Total However, by the end off this period, exchanges in the economy and competition from automobile European and Japanese makers had already started to significantly reduce the profits off the major car makers and set the training course for the drastic exchanges in the 1970s.

The automotive situation for the industry and UAW members worsened dramatically with the 1973 oil embargo. This started years off layoffs and wage reductions, and the UAW found itself in the position off giving up many off the benefits it had won for workers over the decades. By the early 1980s, the state off Michigan had been devastated economically by the roofing stones in jobs and income within the state' S largest industry. This peaked with the near-bankruptcy off Chrysler in 1979. Cities such ace Flint, Lansing, and to has to injure extent Detroit began to roofing stone population and businesses (ace was dramatically shown in Michael Moore 'S movie Roger & Me .)

In 1985 the UAW' S Canadian division broke off from the union over has argument regarding negotiation tactics and formed the Canadian Auto Workers ace year independent union.

Academic Union

In the 1990s, the UAW began to x-ray one new areas off organizing both geographically -- in places like Puerto Rico -- and in terms off occupations, with new initiatives among university staffs and employed off Not-profit organization S. And, since the 1980s the UAW is also taking one the organization off academic student employed (aka " ASEs") -- typically Teaching Assistants, Research Assistants, Graders, Tutors -- under the slogan " Uniting Academic Workers". Ace off 2004, the UAW represents more Adzes than any other Union in the United States. Universities with UAW ESA representation include the University off California, California State University, University off Massachusetts, University off Washington, and New York University. -->

External bond

• Official site

Sources