UAW squeezing Big Three but stops short of expanding strike
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain says there is 'more to be won' from Ford, GM and Stellantis
UAW president Shawn Fain has been nothing but surprising throughout process: Jamie Butters
Automotive News executive editor Jamie Butters discusses the expansion of the UAW strikes and its impact on car buyers.
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said in his weekly address Friday that the union's strike against Detroit's Big Three automakers will continue against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, but did not announce any new strike targets.
"We've looked at the companies' proposals," Fain said during his Facebook live address. "… And in my opinion, and in the opinion of the vice presidents and in the opinion of your national negotiators, there is more to be won."
United Auto Workers president Shawn Fain speaks to the crowd during a rally in Detroit on Sept. 15, 2023. (Emily Elconin/Bloomberg via Getty Images / Getty Images)
The UAW has been demanding "record contracts for record profits" from the automakers, and Fain acknowledged that all three companies had offered record contracts to the union, but said there is more money on the table.
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The union is asking for a 40% raise over the life of the four-year contracts, and Fain said the Big Three have now increased their pay hike proposals to 23%. He also pointed to a number of areas where each automaker needs to offer more from the union's perspective.
Workers picket outside the Ford assembly plant in Chicago as the UAW strike against the Big Three U.S. automakers continues on Oct. 10, 2023. (Scott Olson/Getty Images / Getty Images)
"One thing we've been hearing over and over from these companies is how they've offered us record contracts," Fain said. "They stole that line from us by the way, and you know what, we agree."
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"These are already record contracts, but they come at the end of decades of record decline," the union president said. "So it's not enough to be the best ever, when autoworkers have gone backwards over the last two decades. That's a very low bar."
| Ticker | Security | Last | Change | Change % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| F | FORD MOTOR CO. | 10.98 | -0.15 | -1.35% |
| GM | GENERAL MOTORS CO. | 55.04 | -0.55 | -0.99% |
| STLA | STELLANTIS NV | 12.36 | -0.85 | -6.47% |
The UAW began its simultaneous but limited strike against the Big Three over a month ago.
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Around 34,000 of the 150,000 members employed by the automakers are currently on strike, and the union has threatened to expand the strike nationwide if the companies do not make sufficient progress in the negotiations.