LANSING, Mich. — U.S. Senator Gary Peters (MI) visited Lansing on Tuesday and walked the picket line with striking auto workers.
He says that he stands with the Michigan workers as they fight for better wages and benefits.
He adds that when the auto industry was in crisis, workers and their families stepped up in the spirit of shared sacrifice and they and their families deserve to share the prosperity during periods of profitability.
Workers walked off their jobs early on Sept. 16, paralyzing production at about 30 manufacturing sites in nine states.
They have received last GM paycheck and have started living on $250 per week in strike pay.
Issues that are snagging the talks include the formula for profit sharing, which the union wants to improve. Currently workers get $1,000 for every $1 billion the company makes before taxes in North America. This year workers got checks for $10,750 each, less than last year's $11,500.
Wages also are an issue with the company seeking to shift compensation more to lump sums that depend on earnings and workers wanting hourly increases that will be there if the economy goes south.
They're also bargaining over use of temporary workers and a path to make them full-time, as well as a faster track for getting newly hired workers to the top UAW wage.
Peters said that it is important for the workers to get what they are asking for, and he wants GM to end temporary workers.
This is the first national strike by the UAW since 2007, when the union shut down General Motors for two days.
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