American Made Podcast

Companies have aggressively raised compensation over the past couple of years to stay competitive, but the battle for workers must go beyond wages and benefits. Company culture matters too. According to a 2023 study by The Manufacturing Institute about the role of company culture in workforce attraction and retention – the top three reasons that manufacturing employees stay at their current company are Compensation, Colleagues, and Company Culture.

Reshaping the Future: Bringing Manufacturing Back to the U.S.

m.vincent@madicorp.com (Michele Vincent) — Wed, 25 Oct 2023 15:28:52 GMT

Get ready to reshape your perspective on manufacturing – we're unveiling the strategies, tools, and success stories behind bringing it back to the USA.

UAW Vs Big Three Automakers: Game Theory Predictions

m.vincent@madicorp.com (Michele Vincent) — Fri, 13 Oct 2023 20:07:17 GMT

As the unprecedented UAW stand-up strike against GM, Ford, and Stellantis continues to disrupt the automotive industry, the burning question everyone wants to know is -- how long will the strike last?

Suppliers at Risk: UAW Stand-Up Strike Causes Ripple Effect

m.vincent@madicorp.com (Michele Vincent) — Fri, 22 Sep 2023 14:25:38 GMT

Supplier Readiness: Preparing for an Operational Restart

m.vincent@madicorp.com (Michele Vincent) — Wed, 30 Aug 2023 20:31:53 GMT

UAW Opens Contract Talks with Big Three Automakers: Stellantis, Ford, & GM

m.vincent@madicorp.com (Michele Vincent) — Thu, 03 Aug 2023 14:57:09 GMT

Listen to "UAW Opens Contract Talks With Stellantis, Ford & GM" on Spreaker.

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Negotiations between the United Auto Workers, Stellantis, Ford, and General Motors started on July 14th. Their collective bargaining agreements all expire September 14^th and cover a combined 150,000 union members throughout the United States. Stellantis has 43,000 union members, Ford has 57,000 and General Motors has 46,000. In this episode, we dig into some labor history and set the stage about what’s going on now, what to expect moving forward, and the potential for a strike.

2019 UAW Strike Against General Motors

Back in 2019, the UAW went on strike against General Motors for 40 days and it’s estimated that it cost the company around $3.6 billion dollars. The walkout consisted of 48,000 union members from about 50 GM facilities across the country. It did not just impact GM, but it trickled down and impacted suppliers as well. It was estimated by the Original Equipment Suppliers Association, a trade group for auto suppliers, that more than 100 of GM’s suppliers enacted some form of temporary layoffs impacting approximately 12,000 salaried and hourly employees as a result of the work stoppage. In addition, the Teamsters International union stood in solidarity with strike UAW members and honored their picket lines by refusing to deliver GM cars during the strike.

UAW: Turmoil, New President & Mission

Since then the UAW union has also had turmoil within its membership and it's been in the headlines quite a bit over the past several years due to a federal investigation into leadership corruption involving bribery, embezzlement, and other crimes resulting in 16 convictions including two former UAW Presidents. Fast forward to now -- the UAW now has a new international President, Shawn Fain, who was sworn in just this past March and that’s important to note because new union leadership whether at the local or international level always injects a little more uncertainty and risk for negotiations. New union leaders have something to prove to their membership and employers don’t know what to expect during negotiations. Shawn is looking to reunite his membership, post-corruption issues, and has stated that the UAW is ready to fight back – in fact, he said that’s not a threat, but a promise.