Neutrality Gets Real for Dana Employees in Bristol

Last year employees at Dana's Bristol, Indiana plant -- one covered by Dana's neutrality agreement with the UAW -- voted in favor of union representation.  When the first contract was presented, the vote went the other way.

In fact, Dana-Bristol employees voted 130-3 against the UAW's contract.

"Workers are furious at what the UAW brought to them.  It was a joke," says a Dana worker.  "The UAW has failed us already and we don't even have our first contract."

The proposed contract included:

• No signing bonus
• NO Pension increase for the life of the contract
• 3% raises first 2 years with last 2 years pending plant performance
• Buzzer to buzzer breaks and lunches with disciplinary action to those who violate it
• NO MORE smoke breaks
• Healthworks insurance.  (Another was not even bargained for)
• Mandatory overtime
• Mandatory teams and idea program

Some workers are questioning how the UAW and Dana were able to negotiate a contract in a matter of 2 to 3 weeks.  "These are pre-written contracts," they say.  "All the UAW is doing is filling in the blanks for each specific plant.  We feel violated in the worst way by the UAW and Dana.  Shame on Dana for doing this to their workforce."