## UAW Leader Prepares for Strike Action Against Detroit Automakers
The United Auto Workers (UAW) Union is gearing up for a potential strike against the three leading Detroit automakers, following a standoff over contract negotiations. UAW President, Shawn Fain, announced on Wednesday that members are ready to stage a walkout at select factories, with plans to expand this action if negotiations remain stalemated. Barely a day before the contract deadline, Fain dismissed any extension of the current four-year contracts with General Motors, Ford Motor, and Stellantis, which are due to expire Thursday night.
In a departure from the usual strategy of staging a full-scale strike against a single automaker, the initial strike locations will be “limited and targeted”, Fain explained during a Facebook Live address to union members. This tactic is designed to provide the UAW negotiators with increased leverage in talks and keep the manufacturers unsteady.
## Strike Action to Keep Automakers ‘Off Balance’
“[The strike action] will keep them guessing on what’s going to happen next,” Fain commented. Even a walkout at a handful of plants could disrupt production, while ensuring a significant portion of the 150,000 UAW members at the three companies continue to work and receive paychecks.
The union plans to pay striking workers $500 per week and cover the cost of their health insurance premiums. The union’s strike fund of $825 million would cover payments to workers in a full strike against all three companies for about three months.
## Union Demands Wage Increase, Improved Benefits
In their initial proposals to the companies, the UAW demanded a 40% increase in wages over four years, citing the average rise in pay packages for the companies’ chief executives over the same period. The union is also seeking regular cost-of-living adjustments to counter inflation, pensions for all workers, improved retiree benefits, shorter work hours, and an end to a tiered wage system that starts new hires at about half the top UAW wage of $32 an hour.
The companies have made counterproposals raising wages by approximately half of what the union is asking, according to Fain, and have done even less to meet the other demands.
## Automakers Respond to Strike Threat
Following Fain’s announcement, General Motors issued a statement, saying: “We continue to bargain directly and in good faith with the UAW and have presented additional strong offers. We are making progress in key areas.” Ford expressed its readiness to reach a deal, while Stellantis announced its latest offer to the union on Tuesday.
However, a week ago, the UAW filed a complaint with the National Labor Relations Board, stating G.M. and Stellantis had failed to respond to the union’s proposals and were bargaining unfairly.
## A New Era of Transparent Negotiations
Fain’s 40-minute address, punctuated by Biblical quotes and memories of his grandfather, a union autoworker, marked a departure from past UAW negotiation practices. He contrasted his leadership team’s approach to transparent negotiations with the secretive dealings of their predecessors.
This confrontation comes at a critical time for Detroit automakers, who are not only recording near-record profits but are also grappling with the transition to electric vehicles. The union has expressed concerns about potential job losses due to this shift, as electric vehicles require fewer workers for production.
Original Story at www.nytimes.com – 2023-09-14 01:20:39
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