## UAW Members Approve Possible Strikes Amid Contract Negotiations
A significant majority of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union members have approved potential strikes at the nation’s three unionized automakers. The move comes as the union seeks to regain many concessions lost over 15 years ago and safeguard members during the upcoming transition to electric vehicles.
The UAW reported that 97% of those participating in the strike authorization voted in favor of possible strikes at General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis. The latter company markets vehicles under the Ram, Dodge, Jeep, and Chrysler names. The total UAW membership at these three firms is 145,000.
UAW President Shawn Fain expressed the frustration felt by members living paycheck to paycheck while corporate elites and billionaires continue to profit. However, he clarified that the vote doesn’t guarantee a strike at any of the three automakers. Instead, it authorizes union leadership to call a strike if they fail to reach an agreement with management before contract expiration.
## Automakers Commit to Peaceful Negotiations
All three companies issued statements affirming their commitment to finding solutions without resorting to a strike. Stellantis emphasized the negative impact of strikes on customers, dealers, the community, and employees, while Ford highlighted the need for a skilled and competitive workforce amidst the rapidly changing industry. General Motors also reiterated its commitment to negotiating in good faith for the benefit of all stakeholders.
The contracts with the three automakers are set to expire at 11:59 p.m. ET on September 14.
## UAW Aims for Significant Changes in New Deals
Fain and the UAW have set ambitious goals for this year’s negotiations. The union aims to reinstate contract provisions lost in the 2007 negotiations when the companies reported massive losses, and GM and Chrysler were on the brink of bankruptcy and federal bailouts.
Among the earlier concessions was the termination of a traditional pension plan. New hires since 2007 only received a 401(k) plan, not a retirement plan with set monthly payments post-retirement. New hires also lost retiree health care coverage, and many are paid at a lower wage scale than veteran employees, at least initially. The union aims to reintroduce cost-of-living adjustments to protect workers from inflation.
Fain supports a pay increase of about 40% over the contract’s life, comparable to raises that automaker executives have recently received. He also advocates for a four-day, 32-hour work week without a pay cut.
## Concerns Over Shift to Electric Vehicles
The UAW president also seeks protections against job losses and plant closures as automakers plan to shift from traditional gasoline-powered cars to electric vehicles. Electric vehicles require about one-third fewer labor hours to assemble due to having fewer parts, resulting in most jobs being at plants recently opened or under construction to build the EV batteries.
However, most of these plants are owned by joint ventures with battery makers like LG and Samsung. The workers are not employees of GM, Ford, or Stellantis, and the plants either pay or are expected to pay far less than UAW members earn at assembly, engine, and transmission plants covered by the three contracts.
The union demands that the automakers agree to a “just transition” to EVs, ensuring jobs at its battery plants are comparable to UAW wages at the automakers. On Thursday, the union reached a tentative agreement to significantly raise the wages of workers at the battery plant in Warren, Ohio, operated by the joint venture GM and LG.
Original Story at www.cnn.com – 2023-08-25 15:40:00
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