The United Auto Workers (UAW) could strike in just days as the union has failed to reach an agreement with major automotive companies on a new contract.
The UAW is in negotiations with the Big Three — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — over contracts for around 150,000 autoworkers that are set to expire on September 14. The union is demanding a 46% hike in wages over five years, a return to traditional pension plans and retiree health care, cost-of-living adjustments and job assurance as the Big Three expand their electric vehicle operations, according to CNN. (RELATED: Importers Ditch West Coast Ports After A Year Of Labor Unrest)
“After refusing to bargain in good faith for the past six weeks, only after having federal labor board charges filed against them, GM has come to the table with an insulting proposal that doesn’t come close to an equitable agreement for America’s autoworkers,” Shawn Fain said in a statement in regards to an offer from GM Thursday.
The offer included a 10% pay increase for all employees, two lump sum payments, paid time off for Juneteenth and a 56% raise over the five-year contract for entry-level employees, according to GM.
Workers in the union at the Big Three voted overwhelmingly to authorize a strike in August, meaning union leadership could call one at any time.
NEW: Here’s what the Big Three and the corporate media’s NOT telling you about car prices, autoworker wages, and our fight for justice at the Big Three. Get the facts. #UAW pic.twitter.com/hi7Qok3a8T
— UAW (@UAW) September 7, 2023
“As we continued resolving issues at the subcommittee level, we received a counter to our economic proposal Sunday afternoon,” according to a press release from Stellantis on Monday. “In response, we intend to pass a second offer to the UAW this morning. There is still more work to do, but we know that Stellantis and the UAW have a shared interest in these discussions: reaching an agreement that secures the future for our employees and their families.”
Shawn Fain announced on Sept. 1 that it had filed two complaints against GM and Stellantis, alleging that the companies were participating in unfair labor practices by refusing to bargain in good faith.
Virginia Democratic Rep. Don Beyer predicted last week on an episode of Bloomberg’s “Sound On” podcast that he believes President Joe Biden would intervene to prevent a strike from the UAW, citing other unions that have reached deals recently such as the International Brotherhood of Teamsters and the International Longshore & Warehouse Union.
The UAW, Ford and General Motors did not immediately respond to a request to comment from the Daily Caller News Foundation. Stellantis deferred the DCNF to the press release.
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