LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — UAW members in Flint do not seem to like the tentative agreement presented by General Motors, most members at a plant there voted against it.
How do union members in Lansing feel about the proposal? They will be voting on the tentative agreement next week.
“It’s just like the democracy in our nation. You either like it or you don’t. And you vote with your conscience,” said Aaron VanAntwerp, who has worked for 28 years at the GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant.
Discussions on the tentative agreement are still going on between Lansing UAW workers.
“I’m comfortable with everything I’ve heard today,” VanAntwerp said.
Dozens of members of the UAW Local 602 met inside Royal Scot in Lansing for what’s called a “Rollout Meeting” — a time for GM workers to have all their questions answered before voting begins next week.
VanAntwerp says he likes the direction things are headed.
“Would I like more? Of course, I’d like more. Would I like to see retirement and pensions for the younger generations of auto workers? Of course. But you know the way that it was explained to us in there and the cost prohibitive-ness of putting that into play, I can understand where that’s at,” VanAntwerp said.
UAW Local 652 held its rollout meeting on Monday. And on the following Monday, UAW Local 1753 members will hold theirs.
“I’m hoping to hear the truth from them. We’re doing our best to educate them as much as possible. We’re not selling it. So, if they don’t like it, they’ll vote ‘no.’ And if they do like it, they’ll vote ‘yes,’” said Jean Duchemin, Vice President of UAW Local 1753
On Tuesday night, 52% of GM workers at GM Flint Engine voted against the new tentative deal, while 48% voted to approve it.
VanAntwerp says though the deal is historic, he wants members to vote based on what’s best for them.
“If it’s beneficial for your family or not, or if you feel that we can get more. don’t necessarily buy in to the multimedia hype of what Facebook has to say,” VanAntwerp said.
