10/9/23 - UAW Decides Not To Expand Strike

Negotiations continue with the UAW and the Big Three automakers but no new strikes were ordered at their factories.

-United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Friday that Ford, General Motors and Stellantis will all avert an expansion of the UAW’s work stoppages at this time. 

Fain said there was a major breakthrough in talks with GM on a key bargaining goal concerning the future of auto jobs, as the automakers shift from traditional gas-powered cars to a lineup of EVs.  GM agreed to have the workers at its future EV battery plants be covered by the national labor agreement governing other UAW members at GM, Fain said, after the UAW threated an expansion of the strike to a GM plant in Arlington, Texas, that assembles the company’s full-sized SUVs.

The agreement is a major breakthrough on the union’s key demand that there be a “just transition” from gasoline powered cars to EVs, which are seen as a threat to union jobs.

GM said negotiations are continuing with the UAW.

Stellantis avoided a strike expansion this week because they made progress on cost-of-living adjustments, job security, and skilled trades labor.

Ford leads the way with the highest wage increase offer on the table at 23% over four years, which this source notes is more than twice their initial offer of 9%.

Retirement benefits remain a core issue at all three automakers, this source said.

Meanwhile this morning, Mack truck workers rejected a deal in negotiations and are walking out on strike.