"Final Offer" Reflection

This week in class we watched a movie titled "Final Offer."  The movie was a documentary about the Canadian Union and GM deciding on a contract. Bob Smith, who was the head of the Canadian Union had to speak on behalf of the workers Union to get the workers the deal that they were fighting for.  GM wanted the workers to not have an increase in pay but to provide them with profit sharing.  The workers were not interested in profit sharing because even though they could potentially see more money in their pay checks, GM could have a bad month and the workers wouldn't be able to make as much moeny.  The lack of payment stability was the deciding factor for the workers not to accept a deal involving profit sharing.  The Union also wanted the Cost of Living Allowance to increase. 
GM was not willing to accomodate the Union on these demands, which resulted in the workers going on a strike.  Bob White had to communicate throughout the whole strike with Owen Beiber, who was the head of the US Union for GM.  It was a struggle for Bob White to have to constantly turn to Owen Beiber before making any decisions. During the strike GM threatened to eliminate the workers jobs and hire new employees to make the Union comply with their demands.  Bob White wasn't budging and decided to continue the strike even though Owen Beiber wanted them to settle a deal for fear that the Candadian strike would affect profits for the American Union workers. 
On the 8th day of the strike GM decided to give the Union most of what they were asking for.  Bob White was extremely excited that he was going to be able to put this strike to rest and get the Union back for work.  When Bob presented the offer to the board of Union workers, everyone wanted a better deal.  Bob White kept his composure while listening to the members say that they were not interested in taking the deal.  Bob ended up fighting with one of his fellow board members for saying that he did not think of the well being of the group as a whole.  In the end of the workers and GM closed the deal.  Bob White took the initiative to stand up for the workers and stay on strike even though it would have cost the workers some money, because he knew that GM would eventually crack.  Since GM was losing more money than the workers were GM could not afford to keep the workers on strike.