UAW Strike Expands

The United Automobile Workers union has expanded its strike.

The strike started with three plants -- one for Ford, one for General Motors, and one for Stellantis -- and now the UAW is walking off the job at 38 parts-distribution plants for GM and Stellantis. Ford is being spared, as the union believes it is making more progress in its talks with the Blue Oval.

“We will shut down parts distribution centers until those two companies come to their senses and come to the bargaining table,” union president Shawn Fain was quoted as saying by The New York Times.

Breaking it down by the numbers, the walk-offs will affect 18 GM and 20 Stellantis plants. The GM distribution centers employ 3,475 workers and the Stellantis facilities have 2,150. All told, about 18,000 autoworkers are now on strike.

Fain told the Times that they union isn't "done" with Ford -- meaning no deal has yet been reached with the company -- but also that Ford seemed "serious" about reaching an agreement.

Fain also invited President Joe Biden to join the striking workers on the picket line. Biden has spoken in support of the workers. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump, who is running to be elected president again, plans to visit with workers. Typically, the UAW throws its support behind the Democratic party, but it has yet to endorse a candidate for the 2024 election -- in part because of the Biden administration's push to increase the amount of electric vehicles on the market. One of the reasons the UAW is striking is that electric vehicles require fewer people to assemble -- so the UAW is trying to get concessions from automakers in case of a potential shrinking of the workforce.

The leak of internal Twitter, now X, messages from the UAW's PR chief to Fain that suggested glee on the part of the UAW if OEMs were harmed in terms of reputation or operations probably aren't helping to defuse tensions between the sides, though we'd note that of course the union would want to hurt the OEMs if it felt doing so would help its cause. Still, General Motors put out a statement decrying the content of the messages.

The expanded strike could have a ripple affect that would force other plants owned by automakers and suppliers to shutter.

The initial struck plants were a Ford plant in Michigan that produces the Bronco, a GM truck plant in Missouri, and the Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio.

The union wants higher wages -- it asked for 40 percent before backing down to 36, while automakers are offering 20. Other demands from the union include a return to pensions and cost-of-living adjustments as well as the elimination of wage tiers.

Finally, the UAW would like fewer working hours (perhaps down to a four-day work week), healthcare plans for retirees that are paid for by the automakers, and a safety net -- along with the right to strike -- for workers who might lose their jobs if a plant closes. They also want to see limits on the use of temp workers.

[Image: TravelEatShoot/Shutterstock.com]

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