The ongoing UAW strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis will be two weeks old tomorrow, and so far, there is no end in sight for any of the involved parties. This week, President Joe Biden and Donald Trump each visited Michigan to offer comments ostensibly about the union and its workers, although only the former explicitly endorsed the strike. With seemingly no substantial progress having been made over a new contract, UAW President Shawn Fain has announced that he will expand the strike at noon tomorrow if the situation remains the same, per the Detroit Free Press.
The next round of targets will be announced on Facebook Live Friday morning, and at this point it is unclear if Ford will be part of the expanded strike. As Ford Authority reported last week, the automaker avoided an expanded strike due to substantial progress it made with the union. By contrast, GM and Stellantis had their parts distribution centers shutdown after the UAW claimed the companies were not negotiating in good faith. Currently, 38 sites across 20 states have been impacted, in addition to the assembly plants that have been idled since the strike began two weeks ago. For Ford, it’s been unable to produce the Ford Bronco and Ford Ranger at the Michigan Assembly plant.
“We’re moving with all three companies still. It’s slower, but it’s bargaining. Some days you feel like you make two steps forward, the next day you take a step back. Things are moving, but we just have to see,” Fain said Tuesday, according to the publication.
“Negotiations continue. Our focus remains on working diligently with the @UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables @Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future.” ~ FoMoCo, 11:02p on 9/27/23@freep @freepautos
— Phoebe Wall Howard (original blue check) (@phoebesaid) September 28, 2023
So far, Ford seems to have fostered better relations with the UAW than GM and Stellantis over the course of the strike, not only due to last week’s decision by the union not to escalate against any Blue Oval facilities, but also by the fact that the union has publicly outlined where Ford is making progress on issues like tiered wages and cost-of-living increases. Ford has also stated that it is committed to working with the union, and low-key criticized Biden and Trump’s visit to Michigan earlier in the week.
We’ll have more on the UAW strike soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for more 2023 Ford-UAW news, UAW news, and non-stop Ford news coverage.
Comments
The time for unions has long passed. We no longer live in an age where unions were necessary to ensure safety and avoid abuses. Job opportunities abound, and union labor hurts competition. Non unionized labor based manufacturers run circles around the old guard, and unions are partially to blame. Its not 1930 anymore, and companies can’t afford to pay you for the rest of your life (pensions) as well as automatic raises regardless of performance.
$40/hr to turn a wrench is ridiculous. Bust the unions.
I take it you never worked in a car plant before.
I have and I was a member of the UAW. I also had the privilege of watching a worker quote the contract page by page to his department supervisor why it wasn’t his job to mop the machine oil around his machine.
All the supervisor wanted to do is make sure he didn’t fall on his ass.
This is what the UAW has become.
You wouldn’t last a week in an auto plant.
Unionism is stronger than it has been in decades. I’m not sure what you’re talking about. Also, it would be closer to $44.80 an hour to push a button if we get a 40% raise. Hopefully we get that 4 day work week too. 😉
@Paul Fudrucker: 100% agree!!! I hope they close every UAW assembly plant and move them all to China or Mexico. Get paid that much money to do simple mouth-breathing tasks. Oh, and in case any Kool-Aid drinkers think otherwise, I worked in a automotive parts plant that was unionized. Once I graduated college, I was out!!!
diamond donnie is right, UAW is going to put themselves out of business when the big 3 move everything out of the country.
No, he was referring to the job killing regulations of the Biden administration
Should the UAW put themselves out of business (It will never happen). then workers at the nonunion auto plants will be fired and replaced by lower waged employees or will have to take a pay cut in order to keep their jobs, since there will be no more threat of a union.
Naaaa, that is how I got my (UAW) job at Delphi (now Nextsteer). They bought out all of the senior wage earners and let them retire early or some transfered back to GM.
Needless I came in at significantly lower wage ($14.00/hr I think).
Exactly!!!!
$40 dollars an hour is what it takes to survive in this Biden economy. His policies have spurred massive inflation and he cares not. His appearance at the picket line was for gathering votes, nothing else. He has no interest in the average Joe and anything he said that day was forgotten before he was tucked into bed that night at 7 pm. Worst president ever.
His appearance as well as the hypocrites like Debbie Dingbat Dingel and the pig Rashida Tlaib that claim to support the autoworkers while stabbing them in the back by supporting unattainable and draconian EV regulations that will cost the industry billions in compliance and fines.
@mike s: yet the brainwashed union masses (most of them anyways) voted for Sleepy Joe. You get what you vote for people.