First General Motors Collective Bargaining Agreement with Independent Union Put to Vote
Maria del Pilar Martinez
On May 25 and 26, the National Independent Union of Workers of the Automotive Industry (SINTTIA) will put to a vote the agreement that, for the first time, they reached with the company General Motors at its plant in Silao, Guanajuato, which contemplates 8.5% salary increase.
Alejandra Morales, general secretary of SINTTIA, commented in an interview that the union organization that has gone through three votes –two legitimations of contract, one for union representation – around 6,000 workers have participated and it will be that same register that must now give its vote of confidence to this first collective contract.
“Peers agree that it is a big increase. However, we continue a little with the disagreement that there are things that were lost for many years; The truth is that we would have liked to recover everything that was not advanced for years in the contract that was in the hands of another union, but they (the workers) agree with this first start, because we will continue seeking to improve our collective contract”, express.
The process will begin in the first minute of Wednesday, May 25 and will end on Thursday 26 at 10:00 p.m., “once the voting process is concluded, the vote count will be carried out under the supervision of inspectors from the Center Federal Conciliation and Labor Registry, “explained Morales.
The union leader explained that “it has not been easy” to reach the signing of a contractual agreement, and recalled some of the benefits: direct salary increase of 8.5%; increase to the quarterly productivity bonus to 1,600 pesos; increase in food vouchers to 14% of the tabular salary; social security bonus of 400 pesos at the beginning of each year; mandatory rest day on December 24 and a negotiation table to implement a salary recovery program in the coming years.
They face dissent
The general secretary of SINTTIA stated that all workers at the General Motors plant in Silao “have the right to vote, although we know that there is a group that has made the decision not to join our union, which is respectable, they will also have the right to vote.” benefits achieved with this contract. That group of workers have decided to stay with the previous union.”
It should be noted that in a letter sent by General Motors to the previous union, “Miguel Trujillo” reported that workers who decided to remain affiliated to this union organization will no longer be deducted from the union dues, nor will they be able to grant space inside the plant “until they receive the order from the Federal Conciliation Center ”.
In this regard, Morales said that the SYNTHIA He has not yet received any union dues, “now we are focused on the contract proposal and the voting process, the issue of dues will be reviewed later,” he said.
kg
