The United Auto Workers held its constitutional convention yesterday, officially swearing in former vice-president Ron Gettelfinger as the replacement for retiring president Stephen Yokich, and Elizabeth Bunn as the union?s first female secretary-treasurer (see WIT for Nov. 9, 2001). Mr. Gettelfinger already faces a major challenge in his new job, as the union begins its three-day convention on bargaining strategies for next year?s Big Three contract negotiations tomorrow. When the current four-year contract runs out next September, General Motors, Ford Motor and DaimlerChrysler are expected to seek layoffs to reduce overcapacity in production.
See Associated Press, Chicago Tribune, June 6, 2002