UAW Membership to Fall Below 500K

UAW membership is expected to fall below 500,000 -- one-third its peak levels of three decades ago -- after Ford Motor Co. completes its buyouts of 38,000 hourly workers represented by the Detroit-based autoworkers union.

The Ford buyouts, part of a sweeping restructuring plan, came months after 46,800 UAW members took early retirement or other buyouts from General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp., its parts-making spin-off, which is in bankruptcy.

Analysts speculate that the UAW, which must negotiate new deals with automakers next year, may need to merge with another union or at least drastically slash its own staff. But members say it needs to stay the course: protect current members as best it can, work to add members at suppliers and transplants, and try to break into other industries.

Detroit Free Press

UAW Membership to Fall Below 500K

UAW membership is expected to fall below 500,000 -- one-third its peak levels of three decades ago -- after Ford Motor Co. completes its buyouts of 38,000 hourly workers represented by the Detroit-based autoworkers union.

The Ford buyouts, part of a sweeping restructuring plan, came months after 46,800 UAW members took early retirement or other buyouts from General Motors Corp. and Delphi Corp., its parts-making spin-off, which is in bankruptcy.

Analysts speculate that the UAW, which must negotiate new deals with automakers next year, may need to merge with another union or at least drastically slash its own staff. But members say it needs to stay the course: protect current members as best it can, work to add members at suppliers and transplants, and try to break into other industries.

Detroit Free Press

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Good. I'll be 10x happier when it shrinks to 0.

I believe the UAW is at least in a better position than the NYC Transit Union. If they deem it necessary, the UAW can strike to have motor companies meet their demands.

The Transit Union tried that somewhat recently. The only thing they got out of it was millions of dollars in fines.