UAW President Shawn Fain demanded that General Motors, Stellantis and Ford make progress on a fair agreement with auto workers by noon on Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, or he would encourage more workers to walk out and strike, as reported by Axios.
The agreement between the Big Three and autoworkers expired September 14. In the same week, approximately 13,000 auto workers walked out of three factories: a GM plant in Wentsville, Missouri, a Ford plant near Detroit and a Stellantis factory in Toledo that produces Jeeps. Stellantis is the successor to Fiat Chrysler in the U.S.
UAW wants wage increases of 36 percent in the next four years while automakers offered 20 percent. Union members also want a 32-hour work week, but 40 hours of pay.
GM’s layoffs are at its Fairfax, Kansas plant. Last week, GM and Ford said they will shutter other factories that are impacted by the strike.
“We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike,” GM said, and the “effects go well beyond our employees on the plant floor and negatively impact our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business, such as in greater Kansas City.”
Stellantis immediately laid off 68 employees at the Toledo plant, and anticipates laying off 300 more at two facilities in Indiana. Stellantis cites the UAW strike as the cause of the layoffs.
Ford announced last week that 600 employees would be temporarily laid off because of the strike in the assembly and paint departments of its Michigan factory.
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Rebecca Barnabi
