Quote Originally Posted by Detroitnerd View Post
Going Non-Union
GM's Northern Strategy

By AL BENCHICH

The “reinvention” of the “New GM” has begun with the opening of a lithium-ion battery plant in Brownstown, Michigan, near Detroit. The event was remarkable not only because the Brownstown plant signals GM’s return to the production of an electric vehicle but also because, for the first time in about 30 years, GM has opened a non-union plant in the U.S.

The new plant is funded in part by taxpayer dollars, and GM is not rehiring any of the thousands of UAW members who were laid off when their plants closed—despite union promises that workers’ concessions on pay, benefits, and speed of work would save GM and were their only chance for job security.

http://www.counterpunch.com/benchich02242010.html
As I have understood it, working with other companies in the auto industry, there is a fine line that separates these from typical manufacturing jobs... these are more technologically advanced jobs, requiring more training and expertise than former GM workers with manufacturing experience have... that is the main justification, obviously there could be more reasons, but those ended up being side benefits... the main purpose of this was not to circumvent the unions, that was just a side benefit.