On Friday, United Auto Workers expanded its strike of U.S. automakers GM and Stellantis but held off on additional action against Ford, citing progress in its negotiations. Thirty-eight parts distribution centers will be subject to labor actions.
This week, strikers took to the streets in front of the plants of the three major car manufacturers after they failed to reach agreements with the union.
The UAW President Shawn Fain warned that the strike would continue to expand if agreements were not reached. Fain previously announced strikes at General Motor’s Wentzville Assembly plant located in Missouri, Stellantis’ Toledo Assembly in Ohio and Ford’s Michigan Assembly in Wayne.
Fain said he would keep his workers on stand-by and the companies on their toes by not revealing his plans for the strike, announcing new actions “at a moment’s notice.”
“This strategy will keep the companies guessing. It will give our national negotiators maximum leverage and flexibility in bargaining,” Fain states. “If we need to go all out, we will.”
In 2019, the union had nearly 50,000 workers strike for 40 days straight until an agreement was reached. The union is seeking a 40% increase in pay, eliminating the two-tiered wage system and adding safeguards in case of plant shutdowns.
The GM released a statement stating they were “disappointed by the UAW leadership’s actions, despite the unprecedented economic package GM put on the table, including historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments.”
Stellantis commented that the UAW forced the company to go into “contingency mode.”
“We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership’s refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers,” the company said in a statement.
