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UAW adds major Stellantis plant in Sterling Heights to auto strike as talks narrow

6,800 autoworkers walk out Monday morning

Members of the United Auto Workers strike outside the MOPAR Milwaukee Parts Distribution Center Friday, Sept. 22, 2023, in Milwaukee. (AP Photo/Morry Gash) (Morry Gash, Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.)

DETROIT – The United Auto Workers union called on thousands of workers to walk out from Stellantis’ largest plant on Monday morning, joining the 34,000 autoworkers already striking against Detroit’s Big Three automakers.

About 6,800 autoworkers walked off from the job at Stellantis’ Sterling Heights Assembly Plant on Monday, Oct. 23, shutting down the facility that the UAW says is the company’s “biggest moneymaker.” The plant makes RAM 1500 pickup trucks.

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The Jeep maker’s Sterling Heights Assembly Plant is the latest target in this year’s calculated strike approach, in which the UAW is picking off facilities that are increasingly more valuable to the automakers’ bottom lines. With now more than 40,000 of the union’s 146,000 autoworkers on strike at 45 facilities across the U.S. as of Monday, UAW leaders are hoping to put pressure on Stellantis, General Motors and Ford Motor Company to reach a deal in favor of union demands.

After beginning the strike by closing down facilities that make midsize pickup trucks, SUVs, and commercial vans, the union is moving into bigger territory by taking offline major facilities that produce the automakers’ most profitable vehicles, like pickup trucks and large SUVs. The UAW signaled its willingness to go after facilities with more financial impact with its decision to strike at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant, the company’s most profitable plant, earlier this month.

The Monday announcement comes after union President Shawn Fain said last week that talks with the automakers are getting closer to deals, but the carmakers’ offers have not been good enough so far. Fain singled out Stellantis on Monday, saying the company has the “worst proposal on the table regarding wage progression, temporary worker pay and conversion to full-time, cost-of-living adjustments (COLA), and more.”

Talks with all three companies have inched forward in the months since talks began, and have progressed even more in the last several weeks -- specifically after the onset of the strike, which is now entering its sixth week. Both sides say they are eager to end the strike and reach an agreement, but haven’t yet been able to see eye-to-eye in terms of an end.

Fain said earlier this month that the union is prepared to declare a strike at any facility “at any time” in an effort to get talks to progress and more quickly.

“The bottom line is we’ve got cards left to play, and they’ve got money left to spend. That’s the hardest part of a strike. Right before a deal is when there’s the most aggressive push for that last mile. They just want to wait us out. They want division. They want fear. They want uncertainty, and what we have is our solidarity,” Fain said last Friday.

---> From Friday: UAW strike update: ‘Serious movement’ with Stellantis, GM, but ‘there is more to be won’

The UAW argues that part of the Big Three’s billions of dollars in profits amassed in the last few years should be used to compensate autoworkers with better pay and benefits. Carmakers, on the other hand, say their offers already substantially surpass expectations, and that their large profits are needed to remain competitive amid a major investment in the shift to electric vehicles.

Stellantis issued the following statement Monday afternoon:

“We are outraged that the UAW has chosen to expand its strike action against Stellantis. Last Thursday morning, Stellantis presented a new, improved offer to the UAW, including 23% wage increases over the life of the contract, nearly a 50% increase in our contributions to the retirement savings plan, and additional job security protections for our employees. Following multiple conversations that appeared to be productive, we left the bargaining table expecting a counter-proposal, but have been waiting for one ever since.

“Our very strong offer would address member demands and provide immediate financial gains for our employees. Instead, the UAW has decided to cause further harm to the entire automotive industry as well as our local, state and national economies.

“The UAW’s continued disturbing strategy of “wounding” all the Detroit 3 will have long-lasting consequences. With every decision to strike, the UAW sacrifices domestic market share to non-union competition. These actions not only decrease our market share, but also impact our profitability and therefore, our ability to compete, invest and preserve the record profit sharing payments our employees have enjoyed over the past two years.”

Stellantis

All auto strike locations

About 40,000 of the UAW’s 146,000 autoworkers were striking at 45 Big Three facilities as of Monday, Oct. 23.

Below is a list of all the strike locations.

Stellantis

  • Sterling Heights Assembly Plant
  • Toledo Assembly Complex
  • Centerline Packaging
  • Centerline Warehouse
  • Marysville
  • Sherwood (Warren)
  • Warren Parts
  • Quality Engineering Center (Auburn Hills)
  • Romulus
  • Chicago
  • Cleveland
  • Milwaukee
  • Minneapolis
  • Denver
  • Los Angeles
  • Portland, Oregon
  • Atlanta
  • Winchester, Virginia
  • Orlando
  • Dallas
  • New York
  • Boston

GM

  • Wentzville Assembly
  • Davison Road Processing Center
  • Flint Processing Center
  • Lansing Redistribution
  • Pontiac Redistribution
  • Willow Run Redistribution
  • Ypsilanti Processing Center
  • Chicago Parts Distribution
  • Cincinnati Parts Distribution
  • Hudson, Wisconsin Parts Distribution
  • Denver Parts Distribution
  • Reno Parts Distribution Center
  • Rancho Cucamonga Parts Distribution
  • Fort Worth Parts Distribution
  • Martinsburg, West Virginia Parts Distribution
  • Jackson, Mississippi Parts Distribution
  • Charlotte, North Carolina Parts Distribution
  • Memphis AC Delco Parts Distribution
  • Philadelphia Parts Distribution
  • Lansing Delta Township plant

Ford

  • Michigan Assembly Plant (final assembly and paint only)
  • Kentucky Truck Plant
  • Chicago Assembly Plant

More UAW strike coverage here


About the Author
Cassidy Johncox headshot

Cassidy Johncox is a senior digital news editor covering stories across the spectrum, with a special focus on politics and community issues.

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