I’m witnessing first hand how hard it is to find employees right now. I work for a large automotive supplier and right now we need 15 union guys yesterday. Our guys in the lowest classified start around 15.50 and top out after two years at 18.50. The last contract they signed 4 years ago eliminated yearly raises to the topped out rate in favor of better insurance and a signing bonus. Now, we can’t find any employees at all. Why work in a hot sweaty factory when you can make as much or more at target or Costco or any fast food place.
Point is….the union contract is hurting us right now. With a shortage of new hires everyone has to work crazy overtime whether they want to or not. My company has nearly a 100 facilities with around 80 of them in the US. The locations without union contracts have been able to hire by raising wages and perks like signing bonuses and referral bonuses. As a union plant we can’t do any of that.
Luckily the contract is up in November. Hopefully they can come to some kind of agreement that benefits everyone.