Tuesday, April 5, 2005

UAW ranks swell by 30,000

Membership grows in government, health, education, parts makers after years of decline.

By Eric Mayne / The Detroit News

Tom Pidgeon / Bloomberg News United Auto Workers President Ron Gettelfinger says unions rely on government protection from harassment during organizing drives, but the federal government has failed labor. Error processing SSI file Comment on this story Send this story to a friend Get Home Delivery

The United Auto Workers union boosted its membership rolls by 30,000 last year, ending a string of annual declines brought on by steady downsizing moves at Detroit automakers and major parts suppliers.

The UAW ended 2004 with 654,657 active members, up 4.8 percent from 624,585 in 2003, according to the union's latest annual financial report filed with the U.S. Department of Labor.

To counter factory job losses at General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and DaimlerChrysler AG's Chrysler Group, the union has recruited new members in government, health care, services and education, as well as among some auto parts makers.

Still, the union's membership has gradually declined from a peak of 1.5 million in the late 1970s, reflecting a gradual decline in market share held by Detroit automakers.

The number of employees represented by unions continues to fall nationwide, from 12.9 percent of the U.S. workforce in 2003 to 12.5 percent last year.

UAW spokesman Paul Krell said the report reflects stability in the face of "hostile" conditions that make it difficult for workers to organize.

"Any labor organizer would tell you it's a tough climate," Krell said. "Any worker -- more importantly -- would tell you it's a tough climate. The fact that a union could basically stabilize its membership means there are a lot of workers out there who want a union and who see the need for it."

Increased competition from foreign rivals such as Toyota Motor Corp. and Honda Motor Co. have cut into the U.S. market dominance once enjoyed by GM, Ford, and Chrysler -- which still account for the bulk of UAW members.

Auto parts makers Delphi Corp. and Visteon Corp. are also shedding U.S. factory workers to lower manufacturing costs.

At the same time, the union's efforts to organize North American plants run by Toyota, Honda and other Asian and European automakers have been unsuccessful.

"The climate is very, very, very difficult for unions," said Kevin Boyle, an Ohio State University history professor who wrote a book about the UAW, said it would be "Herculean" for the union to sustain the membership growth it recorded in 2004.

Unions rely on government protection from harassment during organizing drives, he said, but the federal government has failed labor -- a sentiment often echoed by UAW President Ron Gettelfinger.

"Getting organized without employer opposition is really, really hard," Boyle said. "They count on the law to give that protection and it hasn't been enforced in an effective manner for many years."

In recent years, the union has targeted independent auto parts makers Dana Corp., Magna Corp. and Johnson Controls Inc. by signing neutrality agreements with management. While the practice has yielded some success, it has been challenged repeatedly by groups such as the National Right to Work Foundation, which opposes union-management deals that interfere with workers' right to vote for unionization by secret ballot.

In many of the neutrality pacts, the UAW typically wins the right to represent workers if a simple majority of employees sign cards expressing interest in joining the union. The UAW prefers this "card check" approach because union support typically wanes during secret ballots.

Historically, the union has placed little significance on the membership figure disclosed in its annual financial report, claiming it's skewed by a Labor Department formula that artificially inflates or deflates membership numbers. The Labor Department divides dues collected by a union's dues rate to come up with a final membership figure.

Despite the apparent increase in UAW membership, the union collected $206.5 million in dues last year, down from the $214.3 million it collected in 2003.

In a related matter, the union said Gettelfinger's base salary rose 6.4 percent, or by $8,858, to $145,466 last year from $136,608 in 2003.

You can reach Eric Mayne at (313) 222-2443 or emayne@detnews.com.