Chrysler Group says it will pay its UAW employees $1,750 bonus

11/30/2012
BLADE STAFF

Chrysler Group LLC said today it will pay all its UAW-represented employees a $1,750 bonus before the end of the month -- an earlier than expected payday for more than 26,000 workers. 

The payment is the second half of a $3,500 ratification bonus Chrysler's union-represented employees were granted in October, 2011, in the company's national contract with the United Auto Workers. The first half was paid upon ratification of the contract. The second half was to be paid after certain financial goals were met in four consecutive quarters. 

Toledo area workers will receive a total of about $5.5 million in bonuses.

By that metric, the earliest Chrysler employees could have received the second half of the bonus was the first quarter of next year. But the company said it is waiving that requirement and employees will be paid the $1,750 by Dec. 21.

All Chrysler employees will also be getting a $500 quality bonus on Dec. 7 -- but the deal is even sweeter for those at the Toledo Assembly Complex and the Dundee Engine Plant. Because those plants have received bronze certification on their path to implementing the World Class Manufacturing process, all workers there get an extra $125, bringing their total to $625.

Chrysler says it has about 3,150 hourly employees among the Toledo Assembly Complex, the Toledo Machining plant in Perrysburg, and the Dundee Engine Plant in Dundee, Mich.