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How Saturn has Changed the Face of Auto Work
Established in the early 1980's in an era in which the United States was in a recession, General Motors was losing its market share to imports, and nearly 170,000 United Auto Worker Members were laid off, Saturn was GM's answer to change the nature of their business strategy. The innovations which Saturn experimented with, would if successful overflow into the other divisions of GM.
Saturn's official mission reads as follows:
"Market vehicles developed and manufactured in the United States that are world leaders in quality, cost and customer enthusiasm through the integration of people, technology and business systems and to exchange knowledge throughout General Motors"
The most unique aspect about this new subsidiary of GM was the innovative labor contract that was set up separate from the rest of the UAW General Motors. From the beginning Saturn decisions were made by a team made up of both sides of the labor-negotiating table.
Some of the Differences at Saturn
Union Marketing Initiative-Gm/UAW Partnership