ANDThe American union United Auto Workers (UAW) this Friday expanded the strikes of automotive to two other vehicle assembly plants of Ford and General Motors (GM) due to the lack of progress in the negotiations for a new collective agreement.
The president of the union, Shawn Fain, announced the extension of the strikes in a message broadcast on Facebook Live to his members.
The Chicago (Ford) and Lansing Delta Township (GM) assembly plants employ about 7,000 people. With the addition of these two workplaces, some 25,000 people are now on strike at GM, Ford and Stellantis, the three big US automakers.
“Unfortunately, despite our willingness to negotiate, Ford and GM refuse to make substantive progress in the negotiation. Therefore, starting at 12:00 today (16:00 GMT) we are going to extend the strike to those two companies.”declared the UAW president.
Fain justified the union’s decision not to include Stellantis in the latest round of strikes because this morning, the company presented the union with an offer that represents a “significant progress” on aid to compensate for the increase in the cost of living and on workers’ right to strike.
The union leader stressed that the extension of the strike does not mean that negotiations with the three companies have broken down and added: “I am very hopeful that we can reach an agreement that reflects the incredible sacrifices and contributions our members have made over the past decades.”
Fain concluded by stating that the UAW’s unusual strategy of declaring a progressive strike simultaneously at all three companies, the first time the union has done so in its entire history, “is working”.
The strike began on September 15 at three assembly plants of General Motors (GM), Ford and Stellantis that employ a total of 13,500 people. A week later, UAW extended the strike to 38 GM and Stellantis workplaces.
The strike is also affecting thousands of workers in companies that supply components to the three large manufacturers in the United States and which are having to stop their activities.
Source: EFE
Source: Gestion
Ricardo is a renowned author and journalist, known for his exceptional writing on top-news stories. He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he is known for his ability to deliver breaking news and insightful analysis on the most pressing issues of the day.
