Labour relations chiefs at General Motors and Fiat Chrysler (FCA) have both retired ahead of this year’s negotiations with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
GM told Reuters its North American labour head retired on 1 June having, in April, been promoted to lead negotiator for the coming talks over a new UAW contract. FCA had earlier said its North American labour chief had also retired.
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GM reportedly said Cathy Clegg, vice president for GM North America manufacturing and labour relations, had taken over Blackwell’s responsibilities and, given her work with the union over the past few years, the transition would be “seamless.”
Clegg would lead talks with the UAW, which represents about 49,000 GM hourly workers, GM said.
The report said many observers expect the talks between GM, Fiat Chrysler and Ford to be difficult due to the issue of a two-tiered pay and benefit structure for UAW-represented workers agreed in 2007 and continued in the 2011 round of talks.
UAW president Dennis Williams has said the union wants to “bridge the gap” between the two tiers in the upcoming talks, the news agency added.
