DETROIT – Each of Detroit’s Big Three automakers have laid off a number of employees, citing issues related to the United Auto Workers strike.
As of Friday, Oct. 13, about 34,000 of the UAW’s 146,000 autoworkers were striking at 44 facilities across the U.S. amid ongoing talks with General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis. Across all three companies, just over 6,000 have been laid off nationwide as of Saturday, Oct. 14
The strike has grown almost every week since beginning at three facilities on Sept. 15, the day after the union’s contracts expired with the carmakers.
UAW President Shawn Fain did not expand the auto strike during his weekly Friday update, but he did say the union is going to be taking a more aggressive approach going forward. He said the union is prepared to ask more autoworkers to walk out “at any time.”
The UAW argues that the Big Three has more than enough money to keep everyone on their payroll amid the strike, and that layoffs are not necessary. Fain said the companies are using layoffs to try to “put the squeeze on our members to settle for less.”
---> Read on: UAW ‘done waiting ‘til Fridays’ to announce new auto strike locations
Here’s a breakdown of the layoffs by company as of Saturday, Oct. 14, 2023:
Stellantis layoffs
Stellantis has laid off a total of 1,340 autoworkers. The company said the layoffs were a direct consequence of the UAW strike, and that the company has storage constraints -- meaning too many parts to store.
Layoffs affected Stellantis workers at the following facilities:
- Trenton Engine: 520 workers
- Kokomo Casting & Kokomo Transmission: 750 workers
- Toledo Machining: 70 workers
About 300 autoworkers who were laid off from Kokomo Transmission in Kokomo, Indiana went back to work this week.
GM layoffs
So far, GM is only automaker to close an entire assembly plant because of the strike. A total of 2,306 employees were laid off from various facilities.
Layoffs affected GM workers at the following facilities:
- Fairfax, KS Assembly: All 1,585 workers
- Lockport Components: 48 workers
- Toledo Propulsion: 426 workers
- Marion Metal: 47 workers
- Parma Metal: 130 workers
- Lansing Stamping: 70 workers
Ford layoffs
Ford has laid off a total of 2,480 workers as of Saturday, and has said that because its production system is interconnected, the strike is impacting facilities and departments that aren’t directly targeted by the UAW.
Layoffs affected Ford workers at the following facilities:
- Michigan Assembly: 600 workers
- Lima Engine: 184 workers
- Sterling Michigan Axle: 162 workers
- Chicago Stamping: 255 workers
- Livonia Transmission: 391 workers
- Cleveland Engine: 372 workers
- Dearborn Stamping: 100 workers
- Dearborn Diversified Manufacturing: 65 workers
- Rawsonville Components: 45 workers
- Sharonville Transmission: 306 workers