>> THE UNITED AUTO WORKER'S
UNION TODAY EXPANDED THE
NATIONWIDE PICKET LINE AGAINST
THE COUNTRY'S THREE LARGEST
CONSIDER MANUFACTURERS.
IT'S BEEN TWO WEEKS SINCE U.A.W.
FIRST WALKED OFF THE JOB TO
STRIKE GENERAL MOTORS, FORD AND
CHRYSLER PARENT COMPANIES.
IT'S BEEN ONE WEEK SINCE THE
AUTO PARTS MAKERS JOINED THEM,
INCLUDING TWO WISCONSIN PLANTS
IN MILWAUKEE AND HUDSON.
MARISA WOJCIK HAS MORE.
[CHANTING]
>> NOBODY'S EVER DONE THIS IN
THE HISTORY OF THE U.A.W., PUT
ALL THREE OUT.
>> IN WEEKLY WAVES, UNITED AUTO
WORKERS ARE JOINING THE PICKET
LINE, STRIKING THE COUNTRY'S
THREE CAR MANUFACTURING GIANTS.
>> NOTIFIED MY MEMBERS THAT
MORNING AT APPROXIMATELY 9:00
THAT GET READY TO GO, WE'LL BE
WALKING AT 11:00.
AND THAT'S WHAT WE DID.
>> STEVE IS THE PRESIDENT OF
U.A.W. LOCAL 722 A AT A GM
FACILITY IN HUDSON.
HIS MEMBERS WHO VOTED 97% IN
FAVOR TO STRIKE STAND WITH AUTO
WORKERS ACROSS THE COUNTRY WITH
THE ULTIMATE GOAL OF
RENEGOTIATING 146,000 CONTRACTS.
FOR MEMBERS, THE PURPOSE IS
SIMPLE.
>> STRIKING FOR OUR RIGHTS.
>> Reporter: ONE MAJOR DEMAND
IS A 36% WAGE INCREASE AND COST
OF LIVING ADJUSTMENTS.
>> I ACTUALLY MAKE LESS MONEY
TODAY THAN I DID WHEN I HIRED IN
AT GENERAL MOTORS IN 1986.
>> Reporter: DEPRESSED WAGES
HIT WORKERS HARD AMIDST SOARING
INFLATION.
>> A LOT OF THEM HAVE TO WORK
THE OVERTIME AND EVEN HAVE
SECOND JOBS BECAUSE THEY CAN'T
SURVIVE ON THAT AMOUNT OF MONEY.
>> Reporter: ANOTHER PRIMARY
DEMAND IS AN END TO THE TWO-TIER
SYSTEM.
>> THEY CAN START PEOPLE AT
LOWER WAGES AND THEY WOULD NEVER
ACTUALLY GET FULL WAGE WAS THE
LIKE THE LEGACY EMPLOYEES DID.
IT'S BITING THE WORKFORCE AND IT
HAS CAUSED ANIMOSITY BETWEEN
WORKERS.
>> Reporter: THE UNION SAYS
HOW THEY GOT HERE DATES BACK TO
2009, WHEN FORD, CHRYSLER AND
GENERAL MOTORS FACED BANKRUPTCY.
A FEDERAL BAIL-OUT SAVED THEM
FROM COMPLETE COLLAPSE.
>> ONE OF THE CONDITIONS OF THAT
BAIL-OUT BILL WAS THAT THE UNION
HAD TO REALLY OPEN THE CONTRACT
AND SACRIFICE A LOT OF THINGS
THAT WE HAD NEGOTIATED, AND NOW
THAT THESE COMPANIES ARE MAKING,
THE THREE OF THEM HAVE MADE
QUARTER OF A TRILLION DOLLARS IN
PROFITS THE LAST 10 YEARS.
>> IT HAS TO COME BACK AROUND.
WE GAVE WHEN THEY WERE BANKRUPT,
GOING DOWN THE TUBES.
WE GAVE.
NOW IT'S TIME TO GIVE A LITTLE
BIT OF THAT BACK.
THAT'S ALL WE ASK.
>> WE PRODUCE MILLIONS OF
DOLLARS IN PROFITS PER MONTH OUT
OF HERE.
>> JOE IS THE LOCAL PRESIDENT
WHICH REPRESENTS WORKERS AT A
FACILITY IN MILWAUKEE, CHRYSLER,
A LOCATION NOW AT RISK OF
CLOSURE.
>> ANY TIME YOU'RE ON A TRAFFIC
BLOCK, YOU'VE GOT TO WATCH.
>> A COMMON THEME AMONG THESE
UNION VETERANS IS FIGHTING FOR
THE NEXT GENERATION.
>> I'M FIGHTING FOR THESE YOUNG
PEOPLE WITH YOUNG FAMILIES.
>> AND THAT'S WHAT WE'RE DOING,
BRINGING THESE YOUNGER KIDS UP
TO LEARN HOW TO DO THESE THINGS
SO THAT WHEN WE'RE GONE, THEY
CAN TAKE OVER.
>> WHILE NEGOTIATIONS HAVE BEEN
ONGOING, AN END DOESN'T APPEAR
TO BE IN SIGHT AS THE UNION
EXPANDED STRIKES FRIDAY TO
25,000 PEOPLE.
THE U.A.W. STRIKE MIRRORS THE
NATIONAL RESURGENCE FOR UNIONS
ACROSS THE COUNTRY.
>> YOU'RE SEEING A LOT OF PEOPLE
ORGANIZING NOW.
PEOPLE ARE TIRED OF IT AND
THEY'RE FIGHTING BACK AND THAT'S
A GOOD THING BECAUSE WE NEEDED
THAT TO HAPPEN IN THIS COUNTRY.
>> IF IT WASN'T FOR THE UNION,
YOU WOULDN'T HAVE 40-HOUR WORK
WEEKS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE PAID
HOLIDAYS, YOU WOULDN'T HAVE
EIGHT-HOUR WORK DAYS.
THE UNION FIGHTS FOR EVERYBODY,
WHETHER THEY KNOW IT OR NOT,
BECAUSE WHAT WE DO DRIVES THE
COMMUNITY, IT DRIVES THE AREA.
>> Reporter: REPORTING FOR