On Sept 14, the UAW contract with GM, Ford & Chrysler will expire, so they working hard to negotiate a new one as August ends.
The companies are in poor financial shape because competitors have fewer, younger, non-union workers. They did not hired thousands of baby boomers in the 1960s and 1970s. Health care costs are a key factor in the equation.
It has not been agreed to, but is on the table for the union to take over health care benefits for auto industry retirees, which is a whole lot of people. The 3 companies will fund $50-100 Billion then walk away from the financial liability.
The union will get that initial funding but have a big liability as baby boomers age. You bet they will negotiate successfully with doctors, hospitals, and insurance cos. They may be the biggest customer (maybe California teachers is more) outside of the US government or military. Okay one of the top 10 customers at least.
If there were 10-20 of these types of member run health care systems to choose from, we could keep the government and corporations away from the system and still get better service for lower cost.
This all should happen in the next few weeks. Maybe one of the second tier candidates will pick up the ball and run with it.
Everyone will be able to read about the UAW V.E.B.A later today with more details to follow over the week.
GM is ready to hand over health care to UAW, then after Ford and Chrysler (and 100 suppliers) follow the UAW will be one of the biggest buyers of health care in the country.
The difference between them and other buyers is they are tougher, more confrontational, and less accomodating than the average group plan administrators.
They dont care if doctors make $200,000 or $50,000 a year or if insurance companies have good revenues or hospitals have the best equipment.
They are going to get good care at a good price or shop elsewhwere.
This development should help us all.
Self identifying groups are an excellent method of controlling health care costs. Currently, the fed gov't and many states, have strict guidelines regulating what groups are permitted to collectively bargain for insurance. In fact, in MO, it is illegal for a group to form simply for the purpose of buying health insurance. Another example of gov't being the problem, not the solution.
for general coverage and fund care throught their own non-profit banking operation. The government entitlements can be integrated and operated for each member for life. But they have to keep everyone in the plan even if their employment takes them out of union jurisdiction as long as the make appropriate contributions and do not join another plan. Then functionas as a Fee-For-Service plan where they just schedule what they will pay for any service or equipment based on a negotiated network of providers to assure availablility only. The union will have add a large staff organization and it remains to be seen if they can do that effectively.
I disagree with healthcare being tied to employment or another "club" you might be previliged to. It is too important.
Bill"for what we are together"
bill713.unity08@sbcglobal.net
The Congress can pass a law that allows all citizens to buy health care from any club they want to.
The UAW is one of the first private clubs is the news. Hawaii & Mass. have public clubs. If every citizen could join a club by Jan 1 2024 it would be universal care but not national care.
The yin and yang are related in the UAW version. UAW has to add staff but Blue Cross Michigan will lose staff. Hmmmm. who will apply for the UAW jobs?
The former Blue Cross employees will have 101 ways to save big bucks for their new employers.
If there is anyone who can handle the many tragic situations going on throught the earth,it must be the mammal. We have the basic of all abilities. The ability to communicate, which makes us smarter than all other mammals,mammals gather together and they all know universally the differance between right and wrong. Although cultures are diverse and defined, we all have different viewpoints, based on LIFE EXPERIENCES,no one is the same, but when all sides of the the view come into play then we can come to understand each others problems, and use our strengths to solve others problems. We are being so mature right now...Dealing with all of our problems, Pushing around little kids just because we're afraid that they're gonna go out and do better than us, just because they don't follow our footsteps...what is that? that is competition...but competition has a limit. do the richest of people even care what happens 5000000 miles away? nno. Do they care how about where all their stuff came from? No. all they care about is themselves, but there are those few ...cherished few...honest hardworking americans that really did go homeless. That really pursured the american dream...and they got thier dreams crushed, either byloss of innocene and corruption, or by the basic instict to survive. Everyone justs want to live and to let live. IF everyone could just take up land, and let nature do it's work. we could live happily. With a little sympathy and understanding, we can continue to understand our species. This is Alex S. from big bad EL PASO. Yup you still have to remember the indians before 1776. And those few remaining, allow them to live out thier life and traditions. A human lives longer if it is able to achieve peace of mind. Security about everything, but the then privacy, but with an 'honorable law', if one man is honest...his honesty will flow though others, and a chain reaction will lead to more positive things.
I would write in more detail, but I hardly doubt 'america' is concerned about it's future.
The UAW screwed up Detroit and the big car cos. with there unrealistic demands such as a job bank where employees spend years sitting waiting for a job to open in the company, instead of being laid off like every other business would do. They will make a mess of this plan and the tax payer will be bailing them out in five years. The unions are too corrupt to operate efficiently. The Union time is long gone "Rest in Peace"
That sounds unrealistic how they can keep someone unemployed like that.
do these people even get paid while waiting for an opening?
You can't change the past, but you can change the future, and anyone who says otherwise, is a letargic devil! Before I discovered unity 08 I felt it would take years 10 or even 20 + to get what I thought would be a good america... now I can see it all hap
The auto companies pay the people in the job bank their current wages. They are paid on the same scale as any active employee. They sit in a room eight hours a day five days a week for years. Some even retire without working one day in up to five years. it is no wonder american car makers can't compete. For your info there are thousands of workers in the job bank.
I shudder to think how many hidden employees there are in management getting paid even more and doing even less.
Phil
Been to the Unity08 Delegate wiki lately? Join today!http://unity-usa.org
Lets uncorrupt our government!
I think there are only 6000 - 8000 people in job banks, about half do volunteer work in their communities. The other half are freeloaders.
The new contract will put a new plant in Flint, MI, that brings in about 500 people from the job banks to the assembly line.
There used to be hundreds of useless management jobs in 2024 but those are being scaled back dramatically.
Detroits not efficient yet, but getting close, about 10-15% fat. Thats less than the meat you're having for dinner tonight.
Gm is closing 2 more assembly plants. Announced today. Part of the Union plan for new contract. Viva la Revolution!
Welcome to the future.