DETROIT – The United Auto Workers union will expand strikes against General Motors and Ford Motor to two U.S. assembly plants at noon ET, announced UAW President Shawn Fain on Friday.
The additional strikes will target Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant in Illinois, which produces the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, and GM’s Lansing Delta Township plant in mid-Michigan that produces the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse crossovers.
Although these plants are important, they are not as profitable or crucial as the facilities producing the automakers’ pickup trucks.
Shawn Fain confirmed that Chrysler parent Stellantis was spared from additional strikes due to progress made in negotiations with the company.
Shawn Fain stated, “Moments before this broadcast, Stellantis made significant progress on the 2009 cost-of-living allowance, the right not to cross a picket line, as well as the right to strike over product commitments and plant closures and outsourcing moratoriums. We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues.”
About 6,900 autoworkers will participate in the latest wave of work stoppages, joining roughly 18,300 workers who are currently on strike. This means that approximately 25,200 employees, or roughly 17% of UAW members covered by the expired contracts with the Detroit automakers, will be on strike as of noon.
Shawn Fain emphasized the need to restore the strike to restore the balance of power, referencing other UAW strikes besides those at the Detroit automakers.
In response, GM stated that it had not yet received a comprehensive counteroffer from union leadership regarding a contract proposal made last week.
Gerald Johnson, GM’s head of global manufacturing, said in a statement, “Calling more strikes is just for the headlines, not real progress. The number of people negatively impacted by these strikes is growing and includes our customers who buy and love the products we build. We’re here to reach an agreement so we can all get back to work, and that remains our 100% focus.”
Stellantis stated that while negotiators have made progress, there are still gaps that need to be addressed. The company is committed to continuing to work through these issues in an expeditious manner to reach a fair and responsible agreement that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible.
Ford CEO Jim Farley criticized the UAW for holding the deal hostage over battery plants and labeled the additional strike as “grossly irresponsible.” He also accused the union of premeditated actions and insinuated that they were never interested in reaching a deal before a September 14 deadline.
Shawn Fain fired back at Farley, stating that the CEO hasn’t been present at the bargaining table and accused him of lying about the state of negotiations.
These additional strikes follow a similar expansion of strikes one week ago. Initially, the UAW initiated work stoppages on September 15 at three assembly plants for the Detroit automakers. Last week, the union expanded the strikes to include 38 parts and distribution locations operated by GM and Stellantis. Ford was spared from expanded strikes at that time due to progress in their negotiations.
Members of the Writers Guild of America West (WGAW) join striking United Auto Workers (UAW) at a rally in front of the Stellantis Mopar facility on September 26, 2023 in Ontario, California.
Gina Ferazzi | Los Angeles Times | Getty Images
Shawn Fain previously stated that the union would increase work stoppages based on progress in the contract negotiations. The talks have resulted in frustrations and accusations from both sides of the bargaining table.
GM and Stellantis, in particular, have expressed growing frustration with a lack of participation from Fain and delays in receiving counterproposals from the union, according to sources familiar with the negotiations.
Unlike previous strikes, UAW leaders have opted for targeted strikes at specific plants instead of national walkouts. These work stoppages are referred to as “stand-up strikes,” a nod to the historic “sit-down” strikes conducted by the UAW in the 1930s.
The strategy aims to keep the automakers on edge and pit them against each other to achieve better contracts, as revealed in leaked private messages last week involving the UAW’s communications director.
These messages, which outlined a strategy to cause recurring reputational damage and operational chaos for the companies, were heavily criticized by the automakers.
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