Bob King to be next UAW President

**wobbly** · December-11-09, 10:34 PM

The UAW's controlling Administration Caucus is set to announce it's new line-up next week with Bob King as the next president, Elizabeth Bunn retiring & replaced by Region 4 director Dennis Williams.
http://theusdaily.com/articles/viewa...1142&type=home

King will get a four year term [[he doesn't have to retire at 65 as the Freep implies) and then retire.

Meanwhile Gettelfinger is imposing a contract voted down by Staff Council [[the union of the appointed reps) and laying off 120 reps who are mostly friends and family appointed just before a hiring freeze.

Does anyone know if Elizabeth Bunn finally said "enough of this!" or was she pushed out in a deal to preserve Bob's long time goal of being UAW King?

Will union pr director & spokesperson "Noah Komment" be replaced with someone the skills to actually conduct public relations on behalf of the union or will the amateur and embarrassing fumbling continue?

Stosh · December-11-09, 10:39 PM

Originally Posted by wobbly

The UAW's controlling Administration Caucus is set to announce it's new line-up next week with Bob King as the next president, Elizabeth Bunn retiring & replaced by Region 4 director Dennis Williams.
http://theusdaily.com/articles/viewa...1142&type=home

King will get a four year term [[he doesn't have to retire at 65 as the Freep implies) and then retire.

Meanwhile Gettelfinger is imposing a contract voted down by Staff Council [[the union of the appointed reps) and laying off 120 reps who are mostly friends and family appointed just before a hiring freeze.

Does anyone know if Elizabeth Bunn finally said "enough of this!" or was she pushed out in a deal to preserve Bob's long time goal of being UAW King?

Will union pr director & spokesperson "Noah Komment" be replaced with someone the skills to actually conduct public relations on behalf of the union or will the amateur and embarrassing fumbling continue?

That bolded comment is just too funny,but doesn't go far enough.
Appoint people that support the union, not supporters of the slate.

**Big Dog** · December-11-09, 11:39 PM

Bob King is well deserved of the UAW Presidency. It would be a real plus to the membership.

**Kevgoblue** · December-12-09, 10:44 AM

Ron Gettlefinger thought it best that he get the hell outta there before the membership figured out that the VEBA money won't be anywhere near sufficient to provide them the level of healthcare in their retirement that they've grown accoustomed to.

**Sstashmoo** · December-12-09, 11:09 AM

UAW's days are numbered and they know it. Unsustainable model in the economy that is coming, weakening dollar, skyrocketing costs. Multitudes in the streets unemployed, they will have zero bargaining power, to even exist at all.

**wobbly** · December-12-09, 12:54 PM

Gettelfinger is going because he's had two terms. Constitutionally he could do one more, but politically that wasn't going to fly.

Unions are at a historic weak point, true. But it is at times of "Multitudes in the streets unemployed" that organizing becomes a more attractive choice -- as in 'damn we're getting screwed maybe we ought to work together to get less screwed'. The CIO upsurge happened during the Great Depression.

Class politics have never been more clear in my lifetime than they are today as the Great Recession serves to transfer billions to the wealthy [[home foreclosures, bubbles, TARP, etc) and that action will lead to a reaction. It's what follow this crisis that is most interesting.

Unions aren't going to just go away. Change yes, but not disappear.

ccbatson · December-12-09, 05:17 PM

One communist is the same as the next...no difference.

**firstandten** · December-12-09, 05:31 PM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

UAW's days are numbered and they know it. Unsustainable model in the economy that is coming, weakening dollar, skyrocketing costs. Multitudes in the streets unemployed, they will have zero bargaining power, to even exist at all.

The UAW will figure out a way to re-invent itself. It cannot sustain itself in its present form, as we see a massive restructuring of the US economy. The long time union folk may not like what they see, but now its change or die.

**wobbly** · December-12-09, 06:48 PM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

One communist is the same as the next...no difference.

No, there are lots of different kinds of communists. Gettelfinger & King, however are definitely not communists by any coherent definition so you saying that is kinda off topic.

Anyway, bats, what is your definition? D'ya think public schools and the post office are 'communist '?

Gettelfinger & King are generally defined as 'business unionists'.

ccbatson · December-12-09, 11:02 PM

Collectivists looking for equality for all, and prosperity for nobody via an iron fist by big central government control of labor as well as the means of production.

Here:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/socialism

and then, here:

http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/communism

**Searay215** · December-14-09, 09:42 AM

.

Gettelfinger is going because he's had two terms. Constitutionally he could do one more, but politically that wasn't going to fly.

Wobbly - This is not true from my understanding....he became 65 during his term and he must step down. King can only be a one term President, because he is now 63.....And thank God it wasn't General Holifield.....or you would see another KK situation in every respect.

lilpup · December-14-09, 10:11 AM

Originally Posted by Sstashmoo

UAW's days are numbered and they know it. Unsustainable model in the economy that is coming, weakening dollar, skyrocketing costs. Multitudes in the streets unemployed, they will have zero bargaining power, to even exist at all.

You might want to do a quick history review and pay attention to the conditions under which labor organized and has been the strongest.

**MikeM** · December-14-09, 11:42 AM

Prepare to roll over.

ccbatson · December-14-09, 07:56 PM

Obama locked unions in for the auto industry....the anchor that will bring GM and Chrysler down.

**MoparDan** · December-15-09, 07:31 AM

Originally Posted by ccbatson

Obama locked unions in for the auto industry....the anchor that will bring GM and Chrysler down.

You're 100% correct that management, planning, design, engineering, marketing, etc. have absolutely nothing to do with it.
As a side note, you could blame unions as well for Dell Computers shuttering their North Carolina plant so production can be moved overseas in search of cheaper labor.

**wobbly** · December-15-09, 07:13 PM

SeaRay -- you may be right about Gettelfinger, I'm thinking he turns 65 soon after the convention.

CBat --
It's not true "unions are locked in for the auto industry" when most of the auto industry is non-union. Not true either that the President could unionize any industry or company; and not true he did. Just the facts.

"Facts! Facts! We don't need no stinkin' facts," shouts ccBats at the computer screen.

ccbatson · December-15-09, 08:54 PM

Obama gave the unions substantial ownership stakes [[via their slush fund supposedly for healthcare) in Chrysler and GM...LOCKED IN.

**Sstashmoo** · December-16-09, 04:37 PM

Quote: "You might want to do a quick history review and pay attention to the conditions under which labor organized and has been the strongest."

You might want to consider we are not exactly at any high point in this nation's industrial output. Quite the contrary.

It's over for the unions. Fork in it, carve that bird. Companies are going to stay here and fight the very same organizations that had a huge hand in the demise of so many before them? When they can leave easily and still market their goods here? People in the streets that will take any labor to sustain themselves are going to allow organizations to push more companies off shore?

It's a whole new ball game folks. Forget what you think you know about the economy. We're moving into uncharted waters. We just spent 2 trillion stimulating the economy, according to all the experts that was supposed to fix it, it's worse. Hard plans no longer apply.