Conflict at American car companies: Union threatens major strikes

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“If we don’t get better offers (…) we will strengthen the whole thing even further,” UAW President Shawn Fain said on CBS TV on Sunday. “We are prepared to do what we have to do.” The union members are ‘fed up’.

The employees of the ‘Big Three’ – General Motors, Ford and Stellantis of the Chrysler brand – stopped work in several factories at the same time for the first time on Friday evening. In view of the car manufacturers’ profits, the UAW is demanding significant wage increases – a demand that US President Joe Biden also supports.

According to the union, 12,700 of the 150,000 employees represented by the UAW are currently participating in the strike. Affected are a General Motors plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio and a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan.

The UAW is seeking salary increases of about 40 percent over four years. According to them, this corresponds to the increase in income of top managers. Many workers also point to the meager wages and benefit cuts they endured after the 2008 financial crisis, when General Motors and Chrysler filed for bankruptcy protection. In recent years, the ‘Big Three’ have again generated high profits.

According to the union boss, employers have not yet gone further than 20 percent in their offer. Negotiations are also not making progress with other demands such as extra vacation days.

(SDA)

Source: Blick