ABSTRACT
This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts discussed in the subsequent chapters of this book. The purpose of this book is to provide some context for assessing the import of the scandals and to evaluate the potential remedies, as well as to discuss what possible impact the events may have had on collective bargaining among the Detroit 3 and the United Auto Workers (UAW). It provides historical context and develops the narrative to explain what contributed to a multi-layered scandal of vast proportions. The book reviews the UAW as an organization, describing how it is governed, its organizational structure, and selected aspects of its administration. It addresses the state of the industry in the midst of the Great Recession and concomitant declarations of bankruptcy by GM and Chrysler. The book discusses the emergence and nature of the Detroit 3-UAW joint training programs. It explores the alternative approaches to reforming the UAW, including the possibility of a government takeover.
