Union leader: Chrysler workers to fight white-collar reductions

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/michigan/index.ssf?/base/business-14/1201813169263250.xml&storylist=michigannews

1/31/2008, 3:54 p.m. EST
By TOM KRISHER
The Associated Press

WARREN, Mich. (AP) — Chrysler LLC's effort to downsize its work force to match lower demand for its products is running into resistance from the United Auto Workers.

Workers at Local 412 in Warren vowed to fight the company cutting 119 auto designer jobs at facilities in Auburn Hills and Detroit.

The layoffs, announced Thursday, violate the company's pact with the UAW because Chrysler let go of its own employees while keeping contractual workers who do the same jobs, said Local 412 President Jeff Hagler.

"If we allow it to happen, it's going to spread," Hagler told many of the laid-off workers at a union meeting Thursday. "We're going to do what we need to do to take the company on."

The local plans to try to get Chrysler to remove the contractual workers and replace them with the laid-off employees, and it also has filed grievances, Hagler said. There are about 160 contract workers doing design jobs, union officials said.

Hagler would not say if a strike is possible, but told the members: "We're going to get you back or else we're all going to go down."

FULL story at link.