UAW Lost 7.3% of Members as Auto Cuts Outpaced Gains

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601103&sid=aK45O2ltwrSk&refer=us

By Bill Koenig

March 30 (Bloomberg) -- United Auto Workers membership fell 7.3 percent to 431,000 at the end of 2008 as union diversification efforts beyond U.S. automakers didn’t keep up with job cuts at those companies.

The union disclosed its membership in an annual report filed today with the U.S. Department of Labor. The Detroit-based union had 464,900 in its ranks at the end of 2007.

The union peaked at 1.5 million members in 1979. General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC have cut U.S. factory jobs as they incurred losses. GM and Chrysler, operating with government loans, were told by officials their current restructuring plans are inadequate.

GM, Ford and Chrysler historically were major sources of membership for the UAW. The union was founded in 1935, and it organized GM and Chrysler in 1937 and Ford in 1941. The UAW has had difficulty organizing U.S. plants owned by Asian and European automakers.

To contact the reporter on this story: Bill Koenig in Southfield, Michigan, at [e-mail]
Last Updated: March 30, 2009 14:26 EDT

[ben_jenne]

1. Isn't the more telling number that

The union peaked at 1.5 million members in 1979? Thats over a million jobs lost in 30 years. Maybe it has been a fading industry for a long time and the current economy will be fatal blow.

That's an astounding number if true.