DaimlerChrysler concession demands threaten bargaining with CAW

TORONTO, Oct. 12, 2002- CAW president Buzz Hargrove said this morning bargaining with DaimlerChrysler is in deep trouble if the company continues to demand a host of concessions and refuses to identify a future product for the Pillette Road van plant in Windsor.

The company has indicated it will put the pattern settlement on the table Monday morning, but Hargrove said dozens of demands for workplace concessions that will rollback the clock 20 or 30 years in scheduling, overtime, workplace rules, and much more are jeopardizing bargaining.

In addition, the company has made no indication about future investment for its Canadian operations including no new product for Pillette Road, despite the high productivity, low cost and high quality of its Canadian workforce, Hargrove said. With no movement from the company on its Pillette Rd. or concessionary package, the CAW has decided to suspend all local and sub- committee bargaining.

"Our bargaining committees will stay in the hotel and continue to seek solutions to the key issues, but we're not going to talk about the company's agenda of walking backwards," Hargrove said. "The company is making a mistake if it thinks it can buy a settlement by simply tabling the pattern on Monday."

Ken Lewenza, chairman of the CAW/DaimlerChrysler master bargaining committee, said CAW members and their communities have been hard hit by the company's recent restructuring.

"Our members, their families and communities deserve much better than this after all the sacrifice they have made in recent years."