UAW strike to expand with calls for additional 7,000 Ford, GM workers to walk off the job

UAW President Shawn Fain said Friday the union's strike will expand to two Detroit automakers' plants beginning at noon.

Fain said workers at Ford Motor Co. Chicago Assembly and at General Motors Lansing Delta Township assembly will walk off the job. It is a total of 7,000 workers. The strike action does not include GM Lansing Regional Stamping plant or Ford's Chicago Stamping Plant.

Fain said because the union has made significant progress at Stellantis in recent hours, it will not expand a strike at that automaker.

"Over the last week the vice presidents and our office have been working night and day," Fain said. “Sadly despite our willingness to bargain, Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress at the table."

Fain urged those who continue working in other plants to monitor any "status quo violations" to keep refusing voluntary overtime. He said negotiations have not broken down and "we’re still talking with all three companies" and he is hopeful they can reach a fair deal.

Automakers react

A worker at Lansing Delta Township told the Detroit Free Press on Friday that he and others feel "it's about time." The Free Press is not naming the worker to protect his job security.

But he said, "I have no problem going out, the tier issue being the biggest for me. I obviously want the COLA (cost of living adjustment) put back in, too. But they didn’t do anything for us last time with the tiers. It didn’t get any resolution. These cats are walking in and making what I made as a temp in 1992 that should be remedied.”

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The union wants all workers to be paid the same for doing the same work versus the tier system in place, which means newer hires make considerably less than more senior workers make for doing the same work.

Following Fain's announcement, GM's Executive Vice President of Global Manufacturing Gerald Johnson sent a note to employees at Lansing Delta Township — where GM makes the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse midsize SUVs — saying it is ready and willing to continue negotiations to reach a contract soon so that nonunion automakers do not win marketshare during the strike.

"We still have not received a comprehensive counteroffer from UAW leadership to our latest proposal made on Sept. 21. Calling more strikes is just for the headlines, not real progress," Johnson wrote in the note to workers. "The number of people negatively impacted by these strikes is growing and includes our customers who buy and love the products we build."

GM employs about 2,500 people at the plant, 2,300 of which are union represented workers.

"Our current, record proposal that is on the table offers historic wage increases and job security while not jeopardizing our future," Johnson said. "We’re here to reach an agreement so we can all get back to work, and that remains our 100% focus.”

Ford makes the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator SUVs at Chicago Assembly.

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Stellantis progress

Stellantis, maker of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep, Ram and Fiat brands, provided the following statement to the media after Fain's announcement:"

Stellantis has been intensely working with the UAW to find solutions to the issues that are of most concern to our employees while ensuring the company can remain competitive given the market’s fierce competition. We have made progress in our discussions, but gaps remain. We are committed to continue working through these issues in an expeditious manner to reach a fair and responsible agreement that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible."

In Fain's live presentation he said, "We’re excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues.”

Fain listed three issues in which there has made "significant progress" on in talks with Stellantis, without offering further detail:

• The 2009 cost of living allowance (COLA) the union wants reinstated.
• The right not to cross a picket line.
• The right to strike over product commitments and plant closures.
• Outsourcing moratoriums.

Fain did not mention where the latest offer stood on other economic issues with Stellantis or the other two companies.

A strategy to win

The latest move means that at noon Friday, about 25,000 UAW members will be on strike, Fain said. He first declared a strike as contract talks failed before the current contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. Fain announced the first wave of plants the union would strike as: Ford Michigan Assembly Plant (Final Assembly and Paint only) in Wayne, Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio and GM's Wentzville Assembly in Missouri. There are about 13,000 workers on the picket lines at those three sites in addition to those sent out Friday.

A week later he ordered another 5,500 members at 38 parts distribution centers belonging to GM and Stellantis.

"We will keep building our arsenal of democracy and we will win. Our strategy is working," Fain said. "The UAW members saved the automobile industry in 2008. We gave up a lot when the companies were in trouble. Now the companies are doing incredibly well and we should be doing incredibly well too."

This story is developing ...

Staff reporters Phoebe Wall Howard and Eric D. Lawrence contributed to this report. Contact Jamie L. LaReau: jlareau@freepress.com. Follow her on Twitter @jlareauan. Read more on General Motors and sign up for our autos newsletter. Become a subscriber.