Labor Union Blog

By Doug Cunningham

The earth shook in the U.S. auto industry in 2007. As the United Auto Workers sat down with the Detroit 3 automakers to negotiate a new contract, it was clear that the wages and benefits standards the UAW had built over decades of struggle would be attacked. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger sounded a defiant note at the UAW’s convention.

[Gettelfinger]: “By drawing on our courage and solidarity, we can and will rise to the challenge and forge a better future for generations to come. Solidarity, solidarity, solidarity forever!”

As he sat down at the bargaining table, Gettelfinger sounded like the UAW would fight to defend the middle class lifestyles it had won.

By Doug Cunningham

The earth shook in the U.S. auto industry in 2007. As the United Auto Workers sat down with the Detroit 3 automakers to negotiate a new contract it was clear that the wages and benefits standards the UAW had built over decades of struggle would be attacked. UAW President Ron Gettelfinger sounded a defiant note at the UAW’s convention.

[Gettelfinger]: “”By drawing on our courage and solidarity, we can and will rise to the challenge and forge a better future for generations to come. Solidarity, solidarity, solidarity forever!”

As he sat down at the bargaining table Gettelfinger sounded like the UAW would fight to defend the middle class lifestyles it had won.

You’ve seen them on downtown street corners, picking up passengers, offering cheap trips to another city. These so-called “curbside buses” are growing rapidly. Because they pick up and drop off passengers from downtown curbsides—and not from a centralized bus terminal—they are harder to inspect and remain virtually unregulated.

But earlier this month that began to change. The House of Representatives passed a bill that instructs the U.S. Transportation Department’s Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) to require intercity bus companies to comply with the Americans With Disabilities Act (ADA) when it grants and renews operating licenses. Larger carriers such as Greyhound and Peter Pan already comply with the ADA requirements.