Meeting of UAW members: production loss of 400 to 500 million US dollars per week.
Foto: Paul Sancya / AP
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has announced a simultaneous strike at three plants of the largest American automakers, General Motors (GM), Ford, and the Chrysler parent company Stellantis, on Thursday (local time). „For the first time in our history, we will be striking all three of the Big Three,“ said UAW President Shawn Fain in a Facebook Live address less than two hours before the expiration of the old collective bargaining agreement. The workers will go on strike at midnight unless a last-minute agreement is reached.
The strikes are planned to take place at the Bronco assembly plant of Ford in Wayne, Michigan, the midsize pickup assembly plant of GM in Wentzville, Missouri, and the Jeep assembly plant of Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. They are crucial for the production of some of the most profitable vehicles of each company. Fain stated that it is possible for the strikes to expand to other factories. „If we have to go all in, we will,“ said the union president.
Ganze Region betroffen
Ford stated in a statement that the recent proposals from the UAW would double its labor costs in the US. A work stoppage could potentially result in a significant reduction in profit sharing for employees organized under the UAW for this year, according to the company. GM and Stellantis declined to comment before the strike deadline at midnight.
Ford and GM recently offered a 20 percent increase in wages, while Stellantis offered 17.5 percent. However, they rejected additional vacation days and an increase in pensions secured by company funds. According to insiders, the union was willing to lower their demand from 40 percent to 36 percent.
The UAW has a strike fund of $825 million. A prolonged strike would have significant effects on the economy as suppliers and other industries rely on orders from automakers. According to estimates from Deutsche Bank, a strike would impact the profits of each affected automaker by $400 to $500 million per week of production loss.
Die Situation hat sich längst zu einem politischen Thema ausgeweitet, da US-Präsident Joe Biden, der sich im nächsten Jahr zur Wiederwahl stellt, eine Einigung anstrebt. Er hatte am Donnerstag nach Angaben des US-Präsidialamts mit der Gewerkschaft sowie den Vorständen der Automobilunternehmen über den Stand der Tarifverhandlungen gesprochen.
According to a report from the Washington Post, the government is currently preparing emergency aid to assist smaller automotive suppliers in the event of a strike at major American car manufacturers. However, the White House has not yet commented on this matter.