DETROIT – Autoworkers represented by the United Auto Workers union are expected to begin striking at certain plants if a new contract isn’t agreed upon by Thursday night.
The existing contract expires at 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14. Nearly all of the 146,000 autoworkers represented by the UAW have already voted to authorize a strike, but they won’t all strike at once -- at least not right away.
Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said the union will begin by striking a limited number of plants. The UAW is calling this a “stand up strike,” and defines it as “a strike that grows over time, giving our national negotiators maximum leverage and maximum flexibility to win a record contract.”
A full strike is still possible, but the union will begin with these smaller strikes. Fain said the final decision on which plants to strike won’t be made until Thursday night and will be announced at 10 p.m. The union will be announced to membership before it is made public.
“The Stand Up Strike gives our union the ability to escalate all the way up to a national, all-out work stoppage if necessary. It keeps the companies guessing, and builds economic leverage against the Big Three over time if they refuse to negotiate a contract we deserve,” the UAW said on its website.
The UAW said it would not be extending contracts, so anyone who continues working would be doing so without an agreement.
The UAW has been very public with its demands of the Big Three automakers leading up to the contract deadline. The UAW has asked that automakers eliminate tiers. Currently, automakers have a tiered wage system. Workers in the first tier earn about $28 per hour, and those hired after 2007 are in the second tier and earn about $16 to $19 per hour.
Other demands include big wage increases, restoration of Cost of Living Adjustments, retiree medical benefits, defined benefit pension, right to strike over plant closures, a working family protection program, and more.
According to the Associated Press, Ford offered 20% over 4½ years, while GM was at 18% for four years and Stellantis was at 17.5%. Fain said all three companies’ offers on cost-of-living adjustments were deficient.
The UAW has answers to frequently asked questions about ‘stand up strikes’ posted online. Members with more specific questions about strike assistance can email their questions and the details of their situation to uawstrikeassistance@uaw.net.
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