For Auto Workers, It Isn’t Just About Pay

livemint.com:

Discussions of work-life balance have permeated many corporate workplaces over the past few years. Now, they are hitting the auto-factory floor. The United Auto Workers union, which is threatening to strike Friday if it can’t reach new labor deals with the Detroit automakers, is pressing for a number of items that are less about pay and more about improving the quality of life for assembly-line workers.

Among them are a shorter, 32-hour workweek and more paid time off. Workers are also seeking more predictability, following a pandemic where parts shortages and frequent production disruptions scrambled work schedules. The three car companies—General Motors, Ford Motor and Jeep-maker Stellantis—are meanwhile looking for greater workplace flexibility in other ways, including increased use of temporary workers and the ability to shift employees from plant to plant based on demand.

Auto executives also want to find a better way to deal with what they describe as high rates of absenteeism in recent years. The UAW and automakers are racing to reach a deal before the current four-year labor agreements expire at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

The union contracts cover about 146,000 hourly workers at U.S. factories owned by GM, Ford and Stellantis, the parent company of Ram, Chrysler and other U.S.-sold brands. As of early this week, the public gulf between the two sides remains significant, particularly on pay.

UAW President Shawn Fain has repeatedly emphasized this round of talks isn’t only about the money, but also about securing a better life for the working class, a mission he views as a return to the union’s earlier days. “Somewhere along the line, we’ve lost that vision," Fain said. “I felt it was important that we start that