Auto worker strike highlights disparities between temporary and permanent employees
Among the many changes being sought by striking United Auto Workers is an end to a system that pays workers much different wages for doing the same job TOLEDO, Ohio -- When Rhonda Naus got a job inspecting Jeep Wranglers fresh off the assembly line, her paycheck added up to roughly half of what her co-workers were making. But with that came an expectation that her temporary status eventually would become permanent with a big jump in wages. Six years later, she's still doing the same work as her colleagues at Stellantis and still making a lot less. “I knew I had to start at the bottom. I didn’t think I’d be at the bottom forever," said Naus, who's among thousands of striking United Auto Workers nationwide pushing for pay and benefit increases along with an end to multiple tiers of wages for worker s across the companies. From office workers to delivery drivers, companies have become increasingly reliant on temporary workers. Automakers have used the lower-paid workers for ...