If the union and companies cannot reach a new contract, the United Auto Workers, which represents approximately 150,000 workers in U.S. auto plants, could strike on Friday against three of the largest automakers.
If an agreement is not reached by Thursday midnight, the three automakers – General Motors (G.M.), Ford Motors (F), and Stellantis (which owns Chrysler Jeep Ram — may be forced to slow or stop production. Shawn Fain said Thursday was “the deadline, not a point of reference.”
The union negotiates a four-year contract separately with each automaker. The U.A.W. has never attacked all three companies simultaneously, preferring to target each one. However, Mr. Fain and his members have said they are willing to strike all three companies this time.
What is at stake in the labor dispute
Negotiations are centered around compensation.
The U.A.W. is requesting 40 percent wage increases in four years. This is, according to Mr. Fain, in line with the salary increases of chief executives in the last four years.
The two sides were still far apart as of last Friday. Companies offered to increase pay by 14-16 percent over four years. Mr. Fain has called this offer “insulting” and said that the union still wants a 40% pay increase.
Labor Organizing and Union Drives
- Microsoft. To celebrate a year in which organized labor has made major gains, the tech giant announced that it would remain neutral if a group of U.S. workers wanted to unionize.
- Starbucks: Federal labor regulators accused Starbucks of closing illegally 23 stores in order to suppress organizing activities and tried to force the company to reopen the stores.
- Tesla: Weeks after mechanics who worked for Tesla in Sweden in late October walked out of their jobs, other unions in the country, as well as in Scandinavia, have joined in the strike.
- Amazon More than a year after Staten Island workers voted to create the company’s very first union in America, Amazon seems to be taking an even harder line toward labor organizing.
What role does the switch to electric vehicles play in negotiations?
G.M. Ford and Stellantis are investing billions in developing new models and building factories. These companies claim that these investments make it difficult for them to pay their workers higher wages. Automakers claim they are at a competitive disadvantage when compared to non-union automakers such as Tesla, who dominate the sale of electric cars.
The U.A.W. The union is concerned that companies may use the switch to electric cars as an excuse to reduce jobs or to hire more non-union workers. The association is asking automakers to include workers in battery factories as part of their national contracts with the U.A.W. These workers are currently either not unionized or negotiating their arrangements. The automakers, however, say that they are unable to legally accept this request as these plants were set up as joint ventures.
What happened during the last U.A.W. strike?
U.A.W. The U.A.W. Nearly 50,000 General Motors employees walked out of the workplace for 40 days. The carmaker claimed that the strike cost $3.6 Billion.
The strike ended when the two sides agreed to a contract that ended a two-tiered wage structure where new employees were paid much less than veterans. G.M. G.M.
What would be the economic impact of a strike by the three automakers?
The long-term pause in automobile production may have a ripple effect on many sectors of the U.S. economic system.
Anderson Economic Group estimates that a 10-day strike would cost the economy up to $5 billion. A longer strike may start to affect the inventories at dealerships and increase prices.
The auto industry has become more vulnerable than in 2019 when the U.A.W. The U.A.W. staged a striking action. During the early part of the pandemic, car production ceased, resulting in a sharp reduction in vehicle supply. Domestic auto inventories are about a quarter lower than they were at the beginning of 2019.
Can a strike lead to political consequences?
You could.
Has sought to strengthen his links with labor unions before his reelection campaign. The U.A.W. has not endorsed Mr. Biden for his 2024 campaign, despite the fact that they usually support Democratic candidates, including Mr. Biden’s 2020 bid.
The union is concerned that Mr. Biden’s decision to promote the electric vehicle could further erode the union membership within the auto industry. Mr. Fain has criticized the administration for providing large federal incentives and loans for new factories without requiring that these plants employ union workers.
The former president, Donald J. Trump, has been trying to gain the support of U.A.W. members. He has criticized Mr. Biden for his auto and climate policies, which he says are bad for consumers and workers.
