Kohler Demands 5 Year Wage Freeze And 35 Percent Lower Pay With No Health Care For New Hires

[Omaha Steve]

http://www.laborradio.org/node/14243

Submitted by Doug Cunningham on October 4, 2010 - 3:38pm
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The Kohler Company in Wisconsin may become the most recent company to install a two-tiered wage system. Kohler is in contract negotiations with the United Auto Workers and is asking that new employees and workers recalled from layoffs be paid at a rate nearly 35 percent less than current workers and not receive health care benefits. The company has also asked union members to accept a five-year wage freeze.

[madrchsod]

1. so does that mean we`ll be seeing lower prices on kohler products?

ya right.

i guess they figure if harley`s union caved the autoworkers will too.

[xchrom]

2. recommend -- being very angry. nt

[Nordmadr]

3. Our county executive is currently working on busting our

Unions. Two year proposed contract for a pay freeze next year to guarantee no lay-offs (just for next year), then annual step under old pay scale the following year with no guarantee of non layoffs. Oh yeah, and expect our health insurance to go up 25%.

Now, I'm happy to have my job and health insurance; but this is a crappy deal with promise of 10% lay-offs if we don't agree. Seems if we agree, we'll be looking at the same threat of lay-offs in 2012 and another freeze in 2013. We will have set the precedent. This is just a delay.

We can't strike and the public hates civil servants more than politicians.

Union busting is almost complete.