UAW SAYS MAJOR WORK STOPPAGE POSSIBLE AT GM, FORD
Leaders of the nation's unionized
automobile workers have signaled their intent for a major work
stoppage later this year if General Motors Corp. <GM> and Ford
Motor Co. <F>  fail to satisfy demands for job security, pay
raises and protection against shifting U.S. production to
foreign sources.
    United Automobile Workers (UAW) president Owen Bieber was
loudly cheered by some 3,000 local delegates at a special
bargaining strategy convention yesterday when he declared the
1.1 mln-member union is ready to go to "war" against the major
auto makers in support of its goals.
    "It takes two to make peace, but only one to make war ...
and if it's war, the UAW will be ready for it. War against the
insecurity of layoff," the UAW chief said.
    The militant tone as the four-day convention opened
underscored the probability for bitter confrontation during the
summer's labor negotiations between the UAW and the auto
companies over new contracts covering some 500,000 U.S. workers
at G.M. and Ford.
    The current pacts expire September 14.
    GM Vice President and chief labor negotiator Alfred Warren
recently told Reuters that the 1987 bargaining round would
likely be the most difficult of the decade because of the
carmaker's drive to cut costs and shed uncompetitive
parts-making operations employing thousands of workers.
    Job security has been the union's main theme for several
years. A master resolution stating UAW goals notes that the
union's membership working in the auto industry has fallen by
200,000 since 1978 to a current level of about 690,000.
    GM was hit by a six-day selective national strike in 1984
before signing its current labor agreement, which contains a
one billion dlr job security fund to protect workers whose jobs
are threatened by new technology or moves to outside suppliers.
    At Ford, which has more than 8 billion dlrs in cash
reserves and out-earned larger GM last year for the first time
since 1924, executives said they would oppose the UAW's demand
for a return to guaranteed percentage annual pay increases that
were dropped in the last recession.
    Ford has not been hit by a national strike since 1976,
which has prompted some union analysts to suggest it is now
Ford's "turn," to be the UAW strike target.
    Bieber yesterday described the UAW's situation in 1987 as
"crucial" in view of the growing penetration of the U.S. market
by imported cars and trucks as well as moves by the Detroit
automakers to use foreign and other non-union sources to secure
cheaper vehicles and auto parts.
    He said the union will stress job security, annual general
pay raises, improved profit-sharing and limits on companies'
ability to transfer work.
 Reuter
