Ahead of contract negotiations set to begin Thursday, the head of the United Auto Workers union says they are declared that it’s prepared to strike against the Big Three US automakers.
In a Facebook address to UAW members Tuesday, UAW President Shawn Fain said nearly 150,000 members will strike if Ford, Stellantis and General Motors do not meet their demands.
“The Big Three is our strike target. And whether or not there’s a strike — it’s up to Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, because they know what our priorities are. We’ve been clear,” said Fain.
The contracts between the UAW and the Big Three expire on September 14. Negotiations with Stellantis begin Thursday, Ford on Friday and General Motors on Tuesday.
“If the Big Three don’t give us our fair share, then they’re choosing to strike themselves, and we’re not afraid to take action,” warned Fain.
In an op-ed last month Ford CEO Jim Farley said success will require adaptation including job losses but also job gains. The upcoming negotiations “should be about collaboration, not concessions — creative ideas, not confrontation. We have important work to do together with the UAW,” he said.
Stellantis said that they plan to preserve good wages and benefits for workers while remaining competitive in the global marketplace.
“Together, we must approach these negotiations with open minds and a willingness to roll up our sleeves to find solutions that will result in a contract that is competitive in the market, provides a path to the middle class for our employees and meets the needs of our customers,” the company said in a statement.
“We want to reach an agreement that positions the GM team, facilities and our business to succeed today and tomorrow,” said Gerald Johnson, GM executive vice president of global manufacturing, labor relations and sustainability, in a video message to employees.
In a break with tradition Fain said that he and other union leadership will not have a public handshake ceremony with the Big Three ahead of negotiations. Instead, today he will be shaking hands publicly only with union members.
“I’m not shaking hands with any CEOs until they do right by our members and fix the broken status quo of the Big Three,” said Fain.
He added, “We’re taking a different approach every step of the way,” noting there will be regular updates on negotiations for members.
The top three automakers all reported profits in the first quarter of this year.
“They’ve made a quarter of a trillion dollars in North American profits in the last 10 years, and they can afford to make things right for our members,” according to Fain.
The last auto workers strike was in 2019, when 48,000 UAW members at General Motors walked off the job for six weeks.
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