New York CNN –
The United Auto Workers union is expanding its strike to include one more assembly plant each at Ford and General Motors, but said progress in talks at Stellantis was preventing the union from expanding picketing there.
UAW President Shawn Fain said the new plants that will go on strike at noon Friday are the Ford Assembly Plant in Chicago, which makes the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs, and the GM Lansing Assembly Plant Delta Township in Michigan, which makes the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave SUVs. With these additional 7,000 members picking up the picket lines, the total number of striking UAW members at all three automakers will reach over 25,000. Fain said his remarks Friday morning were delayed by last-minute negotiations at Stellantis, a maker of Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler vehicles.
“We knew it was unlikely to happen quickly,” Fain said in a livestreamed update on the strike’s duration. But he said: “We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues.”
The union had said from the start that it wanted to expand the scope of the strike to increase pressure on companies if it was not satisfied with the progress of the negotiations.
“Let me be clear: the negotiations have not failed,” Fain said. “We are still in discussions with all three companies. and I remain very confident that we can reach an agreement that reflects the incredible sacrifices and contributions our members have made over the last decade.”
GM criticized the extension of the strike.
“The call for more strikes is just for headlines and does not represent real progress,” said a statement from Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing at GM. “The number of people negatively impacted by these strikes is growing and includes our customers who buy and love the products we make. Our current record proposal on the table delivers historic wage increases and job security without jeopardizing our future. We are here to reach an agreement so we can all get back to work and that remains our 100% focus.”
Stellantis said they are working hard to reach an agreement with the union.
“We have made progress in our discussions, but gaps remain,” a company statement said. “We are committed to continuing to resolve these issues expeditiously to reach a fair and responsible agreement that allows everyone to get back to work as quickly as possible.”
Ford initially did not comment on the expansion of the strike there.
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While the union struck against all three unionized automakers for the first time in its history, the UAW began strike action on September 15 with a targeted walkout by 12,700 members at one assembly plant in each company.
A week ago, it added a series of 38 parts and distribution centers operated in 20 states by GM and Stellantis, but did not expand the strike at Ford, saying the automaker had made significant progress in negotiations.
The four family SUVs built at the factories included in the strike represent the bread and butter of the two companies’ product lineups. While they aren’t the high-profit, high-volume sellers of the Ford F-150 and Chevy Silverado pickups, the production halt will pose a challenge to Ford and GM’s bottom lines.
The three companies are on record each offering the union an immediate pay increase of at least 10% for the 145,000 UAW members at the companies, as well as an additional 10 percentage points of across-the-board wage increases over the life of the proposed deal, which is scheduled to run through the spring of 2028.
But the union is seeking significantly larger wage increases and improved pension and health benefits, reversing concessions made in 2007 and 2009, when all automakers were in financial distress and both GM and Stellantis predecessor Chrysler were headed for bankruptcy and government Rescue packages were .
The companies are now making record or almost record profits, and the union is demanding “record contracts”.
The strike expansion comes three days after President Joe Biden became the first sitting president to visit a picket line. He told members that they deserved more than they were paid and urged them to stand firm in their demands.