Canadian Auto Workers Meet with Big Three, Share Concerns with UAW

08/19/96

Canada Newswire reported that Canadian Auto Workers (CAW) president Buzz Hargrove met Thursday with Rick Wagoner, the head of GM's North American automotive section, to exchange views on the principal issues of this year's contract negotiations.

Following the meeting, Hargrove said that outsourcing and downsizing were the most important items of discussion: "I'm still troubled by the position of GM on outsourcing, closures and the sale of plants. I informed Mr. Wagoner that GM must recognize the principle of work ownership if we are to avoid a dispute in this round of talks," he said. Outsourcing and downsizing are also among the principal issues the UAW faces with the big three.

The CAW represents approximately 52,800 workers employed at GM, Ford and Chrysler; the union's negotiations the big three started this week at three hotels in Toronto.

The CAW expects to pick a target company for negotiations just prior to the Labor Day Weekend. Like the UAW, the CAW will concentrate all of its bargaining efforts on settling a contract with the target company first. When it has an agreement with its target, it will bring the agreement to the other two automakers to sign.

Paul Dever -- The Auto Channel