The strike began on Monday, when union workers at the Sterling Heights plant (owned by Stellantis), the parent company of Ram, Chrysler, and Jeep, also joined it. The fact that the company, which is the largest Stellantis plant in the United States, has shut down production indicates there are still major gaps in contract negotiations.
This strike marks a change in the union’s past strategy of striking at all locations of a single automaker before starting negotiations with another automaker. The partnership began by striking at one factory at each of three automakers — Ford Motors, General Motors, and Stellantis. It then expanded the strike to include other factories and warehouses in order to put more pressure on the companies.
The automakers are kept off-balance by the new approach, as they do not know when or where the next strike will take place. The union can also use this to make the companies play off each other. In online videos, the union’s President, Shawn Fain, has compared side-by-side the offers of three companies on wages, retirement, and other terms.
General Motors presented a more lucrative proposal on Friday. The U.A.W. called for a strike at the Sterling Heights Plant by calling for the strike. By calling for a strike at the Sterling Heights plant, U.A.W. offered.
The U.A.W. said in a statement on Monday that “Stellantis’ proposal is the worst one available regarding wage progressions, temporary worker compensation, conversion to full time, cost of living adjustments and more.” In a Monday statement, the U.A.W. said that Stellantis’ proposal was “the worst on the table” in terms of wage progression, temporary worker pay, and conversion to full-time as well as cost-of-living adjustments.
G.M. G.M. This would raise the wages of all full-time employees from $32 per hour to over $40 an hour, giving them about $84,000 in base pay a year.
The Ram plant walkout is the first strike escalation since the U.A.W. On October 11, Ford called on 8,700 employees to quit their jobs in Ford’s largest plant located in Louisville, Ky. The plant is home to the Super Duty version F-series pickups and the Ford Expedition full-size S.U.V.
Stellantis, in a statement released Thursday, said it was “outraged by the extension of the strike.” It noted that the company had made a new comprehensive proposal to the U.A.W. on Thursday morning and was awaiting a counterproposal.
The company stated that “ur very strong offer would satisfy member needs and provide immediate financial benefits for our employees.”The U.A.W. The U.A.W.
U.A.W. Members were already on strike in another Stellantis factory, the Toledo, Ohio plant that produces the Jeep Wrangler and Jeep Gladiator. The union also went on strike at 20 Stellantis warehouses that distribute spare parts around the country.
Where Autoworkers are Walking Out
Stellantis has many brands. Ram is the most important due to the popularity of pickup trucks in the United States and their higher price. Ram 1500 pickups are made at the plant located about 25 miles north of Detroit. It is the top-selling model for this brand. Stellantis has reported a profit of about $12 billion for the first half of this year. This is more than G.M. Ford and G.M.
Wes Lutz is the owner of Extreme Dodge in Jackson, Mich. He said that he had been struggling to replace parts for his customers as the inventory on the lot had dried up.
Ram 1500 is his best-selling vehicle. Jeep models are also very popular, including some that were the target of the initial walkout. Mr. Lutz claimed he sold everything he owned while receiving a “low trickle” of new inventory.
Mr. Lutz stated, ” believe we’re a critical time.”In another month, the tap will be shut off completely.
Stellantis, a relatively young company, was formed in January 2021 by the merger between Fiat Chrysler, the French automaker, and Peugeot. The combined company has its headquarters in Amsterdam, and the U.S. headquarters is in Auburn Hills, Mich., near Detroit.
Around 40,000 Ford, G.M. The union is on strike at Stellantis, G.M. The association has also called a strike at FFord’s FFord’splants in Michigan, Kentucky, and Chicago, as well as two plants in Michigan and Missouri and 18 G.M. warehouses.
About 150,000 U.A.W. members.
J. Edward Moreno contributed reporting.
Corrections made to
A previous version of this article incorrectly identified the trucks manufactured at FFord’s Louisville, Ky. plant. It is not the F-150, but Super Duty versions of F-Series Trucks that are produced at this plant.
