Caterpillar Workers to Vote on Tentative Labor Agreement - Union

After months of negotiations, Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers have come to a tentative six-year labor agreement. Union members at four locals in Illinois and Pennsylvania will review and vote on this contract at upcoming ratification meetings.

The agreement, which will be put to a vote by employees, helps prevent a potential walkout at a time when companies across America are facing widespread labor shortages. But more work needs to be done if UAW and Caterpillar want to avoid future strikes.

1. Caterpillar’s Continuing Failure to Negotiate

Caterpillar is a $30 billion global manufacturer of large construction and earthmoving equipment, engines, and power systems. Despite its longstanding profitability history, the recent crisis nearly put them out of business.

Caterpillar recently embarked on a bold strategy to get back on track, launching an unprecedented $1.8 billion modernization program called Plant with a Future that drastically reduced manufacturing costs. Such feats of engineering would have been impossible for most companies, let alone one as large as Caterpillar.

The company also made a huge impression with an expansive marketing campaign designed to incentivize customers to purchase new machines and equipment. This was the most costly campaign in company history.

John Glynn, Caterpillar CEO, declared "Our company is dedicated to reaching a contract that offers competitive wages and benefits, an inclusive work environment, and the flexibility to succeed in spite of economic volatility. We have an experienced and dedicated negotiating team who will make this happen."

2. Caterpillar’s Failure to Negotiate a Fair Contract

Last spring, Caterpillar employees at their Peoria hydraulic system plant voted to reject a six-year contract offer by the company. This deal included wage freezes for most employees while significantly raising health care costs and decreasing pension benefits. Unfortunately, during negotiations Caterpillar management failed to reach any common ground with workers.

As a result, workers at this facility are on strike for the third month in succession. Union leader Steve Ahern laments that members feel powerless during negotiations with Caterpillar; he said the company has never truly engaged with workers' demands.

Caterpillar has also abolished the grievance process that was part of its expired CBA with the United Auto Workers (UAW), according to Ahern. This means Caterpillar can terminate employees at any time for any reason and without prior notification.

The UAW is currently taking legal action against Caterpillar on behalf of the machinists at this plant in order to secure a permanent contract. The dispute has been ongoing since November 2018, and the union hopes to resolve it by July.

It is essential to remember that the United Auto Workers have an impressive track record in labor law, with extensive experience taking legal action on behalf of their members. This could guarantee they will be successful in seeking compensation for all hardships endured.

The UAW has charged that Caterpillar has failed to negotiate in good faith and made deceptive or unfair statements during negotiations. Furthermore, they claim Caterpillar violated the law by failing to guarantee its workers a secure workplace and failing to uphold required safety standards at its plants.

Moreover, the UAW contends Caterpillar has broken the law by not complying with Occupational Safety and Health Act requirements, which requires employers to provide safety and health protections for their employees. Therefore, the union has filed a lawsuit in federal court against Caterpillar for failing to fulfill its Occupational Safety and Health Act obligations.

3. Caterpillar’s Failure to Negotiate a Fair Contract for the Future

For over a decade, Caterpillar and the United Auto Workers union have been engaged in an intense labor dispute. The two sides fought over wages, benefits, and hours of work; ultimately it was a win for the union.

In February 2012, Caterpillar CEO Doug Oberhelman published an op-ed in the Springfield State Journal-Register urging Illinois state leaders to reform the state's business laws and tax structure in order to attract investment and create jobs. Unfortunately, over four years, politicians in Illinois have disregarded Oberhelman's call and Caterpillar has lost manufacturing jobs on net within the state of Illinois.

One of the primary causes of the impasse between management and labor is Caterpillar's unwillingness to negotiate a fair contract. Instead, they have imposed terms that do not serve their employees' or union's best interests.

For years, the union has been striving to address this issue. Recently, they've altered how they negotiate with companies and brought in labor lawyers for assistance.

Union members now have more power to protect themselves and their interests, but it hasn't been an easy road for the union either.

Since McNealy's termination, the union and Caterpillar have been engaged in an epic battle. Unfortunately, in the end their efforts were ultimately vindicated; their loss will have far-reaching effects for American labor.

To be successful in their fight, the union needs a victory in court. To do this, they must demonstrate that the Illinois Appellate Court erred when ruling that Caterpillar's state law claim is preempted by the National Labor Relations Act.

Proving negligence is a difficult standard to meet, but not impossible. The union can demonstrate that an earlier decision of the Illinois Appellate Court had a "seriously adverse impact" on McNealy's right to sue for violations of state law.

Additionally, the union can demonstrate that the company has violated the CBA it negotiated with them. They could demonstrate breaches in terms of working conditions for employees such as firing workers without cause or retaliating against workers for exercising their rights under the CBA.

4. Caterpillar’s Failure to Negotiate a Fair Contract

Workers at Caterpillar's Mapleton foundry have been on strike for almost three months after rejecting a six-year contract proposal that would freeze wages, raise health care costs and reduce pension benefits. The union members, who manufacture hydraulic systems for Caterpillar's heavy equipment, claim they lack real bargaining power with management.

An OSHA investigation into the death of an employee revealed that Caterpillar had failed to install safety guards and fall protection measures in their foundry. Federal regulations require such safeguards be in place in order to safeguard workers from falling into molten iron or other potentially hazardous equipment. OSHA issued a citation for one willful violation and proposed fines totalling just over $145,000 for Caterpillar's negligence.

OSHA investigators determined the foundry was not in compliance with safety standards when 39-year-old Steven Dierkes fell into a pot of molten iron and died. Dierkes had been taking samples out of the melting pot when he lost his footing and entered into the vessel, taking with him all of its contents. Furthermore, OSHA inspectors noted there were no guardrails or restraint systems installed to prevent falls at this location.

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ECB's Wunsch: Rate of 4% Can't Be Excluded If Core Inflation Stays High

Belgian central banker Pierre Wunsch says the European Central Bank cannot rule out raising interest rates to over 4% at some point in the future. He concurs with market expectations that the ECB will tighten monetary policy when it's ready, noting however that large swings in energy prices may make inflation more volatile.

Core Inflation Is Increasing

Inflation is the steady rise in prices for basic goods and services over time. Measuring inflation is important because it illustrates the relationship between prices and consumer income; if prices go up but income remains unchanged, people may have less money for spending.

In the United States, inflation is measured using various measures such as the consumer price index and personal consumption expenditures price index. Both of these figures can be compared with "core inflation", which excludes certain items such as volatile energy or food prices that affect overall inflation rates.

Core inflation is an essential element of inflation monitoring, as it helps to filter out extreme price changes not usually associated with general price increases. Furthermore, core inflation can serve as a useful measure to assess how well the Federal Reserve is fulfilling its price stability goal.

Core inflation rate, which excludes volatile foods and energy, tends to be more stable than overall inflation rate which can fluctuate due to commodity price volatility such as oil or gas prices. These commodities are traded on exchanges, and their values can change drastically due to factors like drought or other natural events.

Core inflation is used by ECB officials to monitor the effectiveness of monetary policy. It can indicate whether the Fed is making progress toward its goals of alleviating price pressures and stimulating economic growth.

When inflation rises, the Fed uses various tools to try and slow it down, such as raising interest rates and other monetary policies. But if core inflation remains above its target for an extended period of time, further action may be necessary by the Fed.

One way to accomplish this is by decreasing the federal funds rate or main refinancing rate at the European Central Bank (ECB). Doing so would decrease the amount of liquidity available to banks.

But the European Central Bank could use other tools to slow inflation. It could reduce the deposit rate it charges banks for holding excess reserves at the ECB, which currently stands at zero percent.

Unemployment Rate Is Increasing

The unemployment rate is an important economic metric that measures the proportion of unemployed workers in the labor force. It can be calculated at both national and regional levels through surveys conducted by organizations such as OECD, International Monetary Fund (IMF), and World Bank.

Since the pandemic began, there has been an unprecedented surge in job seekers. Indeed, their numbers surpass those experienced during both the Great Recession and COVID-19 recessions, suggesting that some job seekers may simply not be finding employment and are searching for ways to reenter the workforce.

An increase in the unemployment rate can have a direct impact on prices of consumer-oriented goods. For instance, energy and food commodities may become significantly more expensive due to volatile market conditions, leading to higher costs for these items which will then have an effect on overall consumer prices.

These factors can contribute to an increase in overall inflation rate, which then impacts central banks' capacity to control it and restore it back to 2%. That is one reason why many central banks attempt to exclude inflation from their calculations when deciding how much interest rates should be raised.

However, this may not always be feasible. For instance, oil and gas prices can fluctuate drastically, leading to an unexpectedly large jump in inflation rates. Central banks must exclude these commodities from their calculations in order to maintain steady increases in interest rates.

Another factor that can influence inflation rates is how much money someone spends on a certain good. For example, someone who invests a substantial amount of money into gasoline will likely experience higher personal inflation rates than other consumers since they are spending more cash for this item than others do.

Energy Prices Are Increasing

Energy prices are a major contributor to inflation and rising costs can have an adverse effect on various sectors. They may even threaten currency markets and interest rates by driving up costs.

Worldwide, gas and coal prices are reaching record highs. This has put upward pressure on electricity costs, leading to many paying more for their utility bills.

Natural gas is a major fuel for electricity generation in the United States. Unfortunately, rising energy prices are making it increasingly difficult for companies to secure enough supply of this essential resource to run their power plants.

Many companies are beginning to switch from natural gas to coal for fueling their generation units, which could contribute to CO2 emissions and result in higher electricity prices.

Though not directly caused by the rise in energy prices, this shift is having an impact on demand for electricity and may eventually lead to future price increases.

The rise in energy prices is exerting a major strain on the economy and standard of living, placing additional burdens on households to cut spending or make savings.

Gas and coal prices can fluctuate due to several factors, including supply and demand. In the US, for instance, natural gas is being exported at a faster rate than production growth allows - leading to higher costs for those who use them for home heating or cooking purposes.

Europe is facing rising gas and coal prices due to an increase in their usage, along with increasing European carbon prices. These factors are putting upward pressure on electricity prices across a number of countries.

Bloomberg News reports that if inflation in the euro area remains high, it won't be possible for the ECB to exempt energy prices from its rate of 4%. As such, they must look at what other central banks around the world are doing with their rates in order to determine how best to adjust their own policies.

House Prices Are Increasing

House prices have been driven up due to several economic factors. Chief among them is mortgage interest rates, which are impacting people's purchasing power by raising their monthly payments. Furthermore, the conflict in Ukraine is contributing to fuel price increases.

There are other factors that contribute to higher home prices, such as supply and demand. If there are more houses for sale, this could potentially help slow down price increases.

But with not enough homes available to meet demand, prices will keep rising. This can be alarming for buyers who may think home prices are in a bubble.

A major issue would be if house prices fell drastically; however, this scenario appears unlikely.

Housing markets frequently experience periods of rising home prices, particularly when there are changes to the economy or government policy. If a government takes action that makes building houses cheaper, that could slow down house prices and even decrease demand for homes in some places.

The European Central Bank (ECB) is actively trying to reduce housing costs, which is one of the primary reasons it keeps interest rates low. But if their strategy doesn't succeed, prices could start declining again.

But if the economy recovers and prices start to increase again in 2023, then it is likely that they will continue rising. And if that occurs, ECB may need to raise their interest rate target.

If you're considering purchasing a house, it is best to be patient and wait for the market to calm down before making any major decisions. In the meantime, begin saving for a down payment. A smaller down payment can make purchasing a home easier and enable you to comfortably afford monthly mortgage payments.