DThe United Auto Workers (UAW) union is expanding its strikes at American car manufacturers to two additional factories. Starting from Friday afternoon (local time), the production at Ford in Chicago and the General Motors plant in Lansing, Michigan, will also be on strike, according to UAW President Shawn Fain. Approximately 7,000 more employees will join the strike, bringing the total number of strikers to around 25,000 – about 17 percent of the union members working at the three companies.
Fain stated that the labor dispute at Chrysler would not be escalated. Just before the deadline, the parent company Stellantis significantly modified its offer. However, there have been no real advancements in negotiations with Ford and GM, despite the UAW’s willingness to negotiate.
The strike enters its third week.
The first simultaneous strike at the three major US car companies is entering its third week. The UAW is demanding a 40 percent increase in wages over a four-year period, citing the loss of purchasing power for employees, the high profits of the companies, and the compensation jumps of the company executives. The employers recently offered around a 20 percent increase over four and a half years.
„Ich kann es deutlich sagen: Die Verhandlungen sind noch nicht gescheitert. Wir sind immer noch im Gespräch mit allen drei Unternehmen und ich bin nach wie vor zuversichtlich, dass wir zu einer Einigung kommen können“, sagte Fain. Eine Person, die mit den Plänen der Gewerkschaft vertraut ist, sagte, dass die UAW die Streiks fortsetzen wird, bis ein neuer Vertrag offiziell angenommen wird.
Ford CEO Jim Farley accused the UAW of delaying a new labor agreement and halting production in multiple factories due to a dispute over wages and benefits in new battery plants for electric vehicles that have not yet begun production. While negotiations for the battery plants have been challenging, he added, „I don’t believe we have reached a dead end, but that day could come.“
General Motors, a competitor of Ford, also blamed the UAW for the failure of new contracts. In an email to employees, GM stated that they still haven’t received a comprehensive counteroffer to their proposal from September 21. GM stated that the call for further strikes is only for headlines and not for real progress. Stellantis mentioned progress in the wage negotiations, stating that they have made progress in their discussions but there are still gaps. They are determined to address these issues promptly.