Smoking on Assembly Line
Date: Apr 18, 2005
Contributor: Kelly Stong
UAW Leader Against Smoking Ban in Plants
United Auto Workers union president Ron Gettelfinger, who said earlier this week he won't reopen the union's contract with General Motors Corp. to deal with rising health care costs, said Friday he doesn't support banning smoking in assembly plants.
"Auto plants are huge complexes and many workers on the jobs are in isolated areas, without a lot of people around them, where it doesn't cause a problem for anyone," Gettelfinger said Friday.
Gettelfinger said he used to smoke when he worked on an assembly line and believes automakers should me more concerned about the chemicals workers are exposed to than smoking. The UAW's contract with GM expires in 2007, but there has been some speculation that GM would try to renegotiate before then.
His comments followed a speech by former U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Tommy Thompson at the Detroit Regional Chamber of Commerce.
The rising cost of caring for employees and retirees is a significant problem for Detroit's Big Three automakers, who spent $10 billion on health care last year. Thompson marveled that health care expenses now cost an average of $1,525 per vehicle for U.S. automakers.
Thompson said automakers could cut costs significantly by promoting preventive health care, including weight loss and exercise. He also said companies must cut down on smoking.
Asked whether smoking should be banned in plants, Thompson said he didn't want to get in the way of agreements between unions and automakers, but would like to see the UAW and management come up with ways to cut down on smoking.
Gettelfinger said the UAW does support smoking cessation and other health programs. He and Thompson were scheduled to meet privately after the speech. Thompson now heads the Deloitte Center for Health Care Management and Transformation, a group that is addressing health care costs in the auto industry and other areas.
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