UAW ranks at lowest number since 1942 | Detroit Free-Press

[Ediacara]

UAW ranks at lowest number since 1942
Recent adds to union don't stop steady fall

April 15, 2004
BY JEFFREY MCCRACKEN
FREE PRESS BUSINESS WRITER

The United Auto Workers union continued its long, slow decline in membership in 2003, losing 14,000 more members and falling to its lowest level since 1942, according to UAW documents filed with the Department of Labor.

UAW membership fell to 624,585 in 2003, down from 638,722 at the end of 2002. The drop came despite UAW successes in organizing thousands of workers at billion-dollar parts suppliers like Toledo-based Dana Corp. and Johnson Controls Inc. in Plymouth, not to mention some success in organizing graduate assistants on college campuses.

Despite the drop in membership, the UAW increased the amount of union dues it collected in 2003 to $214.3 million, up from $209 million in 2002.

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[qb]

1. Well duh - if the country is hemorrhaging manufacturing jobs...

[Ediacara]

2. I wonder if the "new" manufacturing sector will allow unions?

Or, in other words, can you be in the UAW and work at McDonalds?

[reprobate]

3. Good question. Does India allow unions?

[mobuto]

7. That's one problem

Another problem is that all the auto companies are moving to states in the South with Right-to-Work laws - laws that effectively make it impossible for labor unions to exist.

The UAW has also failed to expand into Mexico - unions need to follow the jobs.

[Trajan]

4. Former UAW Local 887 here ....

Laid off (probably forever) in September after nearly 25 years in aerospace ....

My job was 'outsourced' to Texas .... Imagine that ...

Somewhere in El Paso is a slave making 1/3 of my wages without benefits and without union representation .... Imagine that ....

It was time for a new life anyways, I suppose ....

[xchrom]

5. man -- that's tough

it might be time for a new start but it's never easy either.
good luck!

[JohnKleeb]

6. that sucks, thats one of my favorite all time unions