Labor historians say they cannot recall an instance when a sitting president has joined an ongoing strike, even during the tenures of the more ardent pro-union presidents such as Franklin Delano Roosevelt and Harry Truman.
In a statement, UAW President Shawn Fain called the move “a shameful, barely-veiled threat by Ford to cut jobs” at a plant that’s not open yet.
The UAW on Friday targeted GM and Stellantis distribution centers throughout the United States. Ford was spared additional walkouts because the company has met some of the union’s demands.
UAW President Shawn Fain has not said which plants would be affected next—the union’s stated strategy is to “keep the companies guessing.”
A clue of possible strike targets might be found in locations where UAW locals have announced they will hold rallies and practice picketing in the coming days. Those include a Ford plant in Louisville and a GM plant in Bedford, Indiana.
Stellantis, which makes Chrysler, Dodge and Jeep vehicles, said Wednesday that the layoffs are a consequence of the strike at its assembly plant in Toledo, Ohio.
UAW President Shawn Fain said workers at more factories will join those who are now in the fifth day of a strike at three plants.
UAW President Shawn Fain said more factories could be targeted if “serious progress” toward an agreement isn’t reached by Friday at noon. “We’re not messing around,” he said.
The United Auto Workers union has made pay disparity between CEOs and workers a central part of its argument for a big worker wage increase. A detailed look shows a more complicated picture.
UAW President Shawn Fain said that Stellantis’s 21 percent offer and other terms presented by the automakers aren’t sufficient and that the strike will continue.
Some 12,700 UAW members—or roughly 8% of the union’s autoworkers—are on strike at a Stellantis plant in Ohio, at a GM plant in Missouri and at a Ford assembly plant in Michigan.
Without addressing labor shortages, our reliance on imported crops grows.
The UAW’s initial list of demands was projected to cost each of the companies $80 billion over four years, according to people familiar with the companies’ estimates.
It was the first time in the UAW’s 88-year history that it walked out on all three companies simultaneously, as four-year contracts with the companies expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday.
Union President Shawn Fain said the final decision on which plants to strike won’t be announced until 10 p.m. Thursday.
In an online address to union members, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have raised their initial wage offers, but have rejected some of the union’s other demands.
Stellantis, which employs about 7,000 people at plants in Kokomo and Tipton in Indiana, released no details of its offer Monday.
About 146,000 U.S. auto workers are set to go on strike this week if General Motors, Ford and Stellantis fail to meet their demands.
The offer comes just a week before the UAW’s national contracts with GM, Stellantis and Ford expire, and even though both sides are far apart, it’s a sign of movement on economic issues.
A strike against all three major automakers—General Motors, Stellantis and Ford—could cause damage not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Midwest economy, and could lead eventually to higher vehicle prices.
