Aug. 25 (UPI) — The UAW announced on Friday that its members have voted to authorize a strike at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
The union states that an average of 97% of voting members from the three auto companies have voted in favor of the strike.
“Our union’s membership is clearly tired of living paycheck-to-paycheck while the corporate elite and billionaire class continue to prosper,” said UAW President Shawn Fain in a statement. “While we work hard, the Big Three have been reaping massive profits.”
Fain is determined to negotiate a record contract for autoworkers, considering that the three Detroit automakers have collectively made $21 billion in profits during the first half of 2023.
The authorization for a strike by the UAW does not automatically initiate a strike but grants UAW leadership the authority to call for one if the automakers fail to present what the union deems to be a fair labor contract offer.
Following the UAW strike authorization, Ford expressed its desire to collaborate with the union to find “innovative solutions” during this period when the industry is experiencing significant changes and requires a skilled and competitive workforce.
After making concessions to the automakers in the past, the UAW now aims to make up for these losses since the companies are currently highly profitable.
In its statement, the UAW outlined the autoworkers’ demands, which include equalization of wages and benefits, wage increases to combat inflation and match executive pay raises, reinstatement of cost-of-living allowances and defined benefit pensions, the right to strike in case of plant closures, improved retiree benefits, and increased paid time off.
“Our members have high expectations due to the soaring profits of the Big Three. In the first half of this year alone, they made a collective $21 billion in profits,” said Fain. “While executives and shareholders have thrived, UAW members have been left behind. Our message to the Big Three is clear: record profits should result in record contracts.”
Fain emphasized that since the UAW members deserve improvements and the companies can afford to meet their demands, it is up to the companies to determine whether a strike will occur as labor contract negotiations began in July.
GM reported that a 40-day strike by the UAW in 2019, the longest since 1970, cost the company nearly $4 billion.
Unlike some other industries, when the UAW strikes, it halts company production, imposing immediate costs on the employers. The union has a sizable strike fund to support its members during strikes.
According to the UAW, its Ford members voted 98% in favor of a strike, while at GM it was 96% and at Stellantis it was 95%.
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