(WXYZ) — The United Auto Workers union is now striking against Detroit's Big Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
The contract expired on September 14 at 11:59 p.m. Big 3 workers have now taken to the picket lines at multiple locations in the U.S.
Related: Here's what vehicles are built at the 3 locations the UAW is striking
Here's a live blog of the latest developments (the following times are in the Eastern Time zone):
September 22, 2023
4:45 p.m. EDT
Hours after UAW President Shawn Fain invited all supporters, including the President of the United States, to join them on the picket lines, Joe Biden announced he plans to come to Michigan on Tuesday.
President Biden posted a statement on X, formerly known as Twitter, saying he will join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the UAW.
Read his statement below:
Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 22, 2023
It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.
2:00 p.m. EDT
As additional UAW workers were called to "Stand Up Strike" at GM and Stellantis Friday at noon, Stellantis issued a statement questioning UAW leadership and the lack of a response to the automakers most recent offer to the union.
Read the full statement below.
Following yesterday’s publication of comments made by the UAW’s Communications Director and the subsequent strike announcement, we question whether the union’s leadership has ever had an interest in reaching an agreement in a timely manner. They seem more concerned about pursuing their own political agendas than negotiating in the best interests of our employees and the sustainability of our U.S. operations given the market’s fierce competition.
The fact is, we made a very competitive offer yesterday that includes all our current full-time hourly employees earning between $80,000 and $96,000 a year by the end of the contract (a 21.4% compounded increase); a long-term solution for Belvidere; and, significant product allocation that allows for workforce stability through the end of the contract. And yet, we still have not received a response to that offer. We look forward to the UAW leadership’s productive engagement so that we can bargain in good faith to reach an agreement that will protect the competitiveness of our Company and our ability to continue providing good jobs.
1:30 p.m. EDT
General Motors released a statement after workers at several of their parts distribution cenetrs began to strike. It reads:
“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary. The decision to strike an additional 18 of our facilities, affecting more than 3,000 team members plus their families and communities, adds validity to the blueprint identified in last night’s leaked texts -- that the UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.
We have contingency plans for various scenarios and are prepared to do what is best for our business, our customers, and our dealers.
We have now presented five separate economic proposals that are historic, addressing areas that our team members have said matters most: wage increases and job security while allowing GM to succeed and thrive into the future. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
1 p.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain joined workers at a newly-striking location in Center Line, Michigan, this afternoon after announcing the expansion of the Stand Up Strike strategy.
“This is about working class people all over this country, all of this world. This is all of our fight,” said Fain.
12 p.m. EDT
Workers at 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts distribution centers walked off the job at noon Friday, less than two hours after being called as the latest Stand Up Strike movement from UAW President Shawn Fain.
We were live outside of the Center Line location where workers had been lining up, ready to begin picketing.
10:49 a.m. EDT
Ford has issued a statement about the progress of UAW negotiations after they were spared from the second round of strike targets for the new noon deadline. Ford said it promises to continue to work with the UAW to address the concerns of UAW workers.
Read the full statement below.
Ford is working diligently with the UAW to reach a deal that rewards our workforce and enables Ford to invest in a vibrant and growing future. Although we are making progress in some areas, we still have significant gaps to close on the key economic issues. In the end, the issues are interconnected and must work within an overall agreement that supports our mutual success.
10:40 a.m. EDT
Ford has been spared from the second round of strike targets in the UAW's "Stand Up Strike" strategy. UAW President Shawn Fain said Friday morning that they have made "real progress" in negotiations with Ford.
Fain noted that GM and Stellantis still have major work to do.
Because of that, Fain called on all parts distribution centers at Stellantis and GM facilities to strike at noon; that's 38 locations across 20 states across all nine regions of the UAW.
Here's the full list:
September 21, 2023
10:46 p.m. EDT
GM said Thursday night that they put in a fifth offer to the UAW. In part of a statement, the company said:
"We’ve put a 5th record offer on the table and are ready, as we always have been, to bargain in good faith to reach a deal that rewards our team members and allows GM to succeed and thrive into the future.”
1:18 p.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain announced earlier this week that he'd be holding a Facebook Live on Friday at 10 a.m. ahead of the new noon deadline.
We plan to stream the announcement and bring you the latest news on the ongoing negotiations.
Join UAW President Fain on Facebook Live tomorrow at 10 am ET for a stand up announcement.#StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/4rHhRVW3Lg
— UAW (@UAW) September 21, 2023
September 20, 2023
8:30 p.m. EDT
Stellantis provided a glimmer of hope for a breakthrough by giving the union a new contract proposal. However, a company spokeswoman said the offer primarily covered non-economic issues.
It was not clear whether the Stellantis offer would satisfy union President Shawn Fain, who vows to announce new strike targets on Friday unless there is “serious progress” toward agreements with GM, Stellantis and Ford.
7 p.m. EDT
Ford Bronco seating supplier LM Manufacturing temporarily laid off about 650 employees on Wednesday due to the UAW strike, a spokesperson confirmed. The company, a joint venture between Magna and LAN Manufacturing, is based in Detroit.
2:30 p.m. EDT
A union source familiar with the ongoing negotiations said Stellantis sent a new offer to the UAW today. They are currently reviewing the offer.
2:20 p.m. EDT
GM said Wednesday it has idled its Fairfax Assembly location in Kansas City, Kansas, due to a supply issue caused by the UAW strike near St. Louis.
Fairfax Assembly employs over 2,000 individuals.
11:15 a.m. EDT
Stellantis said on Wednesday it is temporarily laying off 68 employees at the Toledo Machining location in Perrysburg, Ohio, due to the strike at the Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex.
According to Stellantis, it is due to storage constraints, and all other production at the facility will continue.
Stellantis did say it anticipates to layoff about 300 other employees at the Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting in Kokomo, Indiana
"Stellantis continues to closely monitor the impact of the UAW strike action on our manufacturing operations," the statement reads.
September 19, 2023
9:30 p.m. EDT
Unifor, the union representing Canadian auto workers, says they have reached an agreement in their negotiations with Ford Motor Company. The union and automaker reached the agreement hours before the midnight deadline, which had already been extended Monday.
9:10 p.m. EDT
The UAW announced that President Shawn Fain will have an announcement on Friday at 10 a.m. on Facebook. This would be prior to Fain's Friday noon deadline for more workers to walk out on the job if agreements aren't met.
4:49 p.m. EDT
There's a growing belief that the auto strike will expand as soon as Friday. Workers we talked to today say they expect the stakes to get higher based on the pace of current negotiations between the UAW and the Big Three.
Outside of the Ford Michigan Assembly in Wayne, striking workers and other supporters of the UAW were spending the day focused on solidarity.
Retired worker Virginia Williams says she believes more locations will be called to strike.
"No one should work at factories like this and make vehicles they can't buy. Makes no sense," she said.
Auto expert David Zoia with Ward's Automotive tells 7 Action News that the next wave of locations could include where mid-size SUVs are made.
"The GM location in Lansing where they make the Traverse and Cadillacs, Ford Chicago where they make the Explorer and possibly the Jefferson Assembly in Detroit where they make the Grand Cherokee," said Zoia.
He says currently 3,000 vehicles a day total are being lost, but a full strike across all three companies could take that number to 22,000.
One negotiator for the union said they remain in serious discussions with the Big Three with a shared goal of reaching an agreement that works for both sides.
9:17 a.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain released a statement Tuesday after a report Monday that former President Donald Trump was planning to speak to union workers instead of attending the second Republican debate.
Fain's statement said: “Every fiber of our union is being poured into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers. We can’t keep electing billionaires and millionaires that don’t have any understanding what it is like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to get by and expecting them to solve the problems of the working class.”
September 18, 2023
9:20 p.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain in a video Monday night announced a new deadline of Friday at noon for more locations to strike if a contract agreement isn’t met.
“If we don’t make serious progress by noon on Friday, September 22, more locals will be called on to stand up and join the strike,” Fain said. “That will mark more than a week since our first members walked out, and that will mark more than a week of the Big Three failing to make progress in negotiations toward reaching a deal that does right by our members.”
Fain also applauded the UAW members currently on the picket line.
5:50 p.m. EDT
As talk of layoffs in the auto industry continues, General Motors announced that it will be idling a location in Kansas, which is expected to put around 2,000 people out of work. CIE Newcor, an auto supplier, has said that 293 layoffs are possible starting Oct. 2.
4:15 p.m. EDT
Stellantis says talks with the UAW today were "constructive". However, they did not release any substantive details about what was discussed.
The UAW has not commented on the talks. So far today, they have only confirmed they would be negotiating withe the automaker.
6:30 a.m. EDT
Striking UAW workers were blocking the entrance to the Ford Michigan Assembly location on Monday morning as some vehicles and semis arrived at the location
Police had to be called to escort those vehicles inside the location, and eventually, a resolution was reached with the union to let the vehicles in and out of the location.
September 16, 2023
9:24 p.m. EDT
Stellantis responds to UAW claims the automaker is "playing games" during contract negotiations. Stellantis' statement reads:
Once again the Union has mischaracterized the facts. It was made very clear to the UAW leadership that the competitive offer presented on Thursday included a strong future for Belvidere and was connected to the contract deadline. Our intention was to present a strong proposal for Belvidere and, at the same time, avoid a strike for our represented workers. The truth is UAW leadership ignored Belvidere in favor of a strike. As we stated earlier today, ‘we are glad to continue to work on a solution (for Belvidere). We want to have a solution including that (Belvidere).’ When we work together, we win together. We stand ready to get everyone back to work as soon as possible.
3:36 p.m. EDT
In response to Stellantis' decision to not reopen its Belvidere Assembly location as proposed, UAW President Shawn Fain released the following statement with claims the automaker is "playing games" during contract negotiations:
“Today, a Stellantis executive told the press that the company had put forward a proposal to reopen Belvidere Assembly Plant but that they are now taking it back.
That’s how they see these workers. A bargaining chip.
Belvidere Assembly was a profitable plant that just a few years ago supported around 5,000 workers and their families. Now that number is zero, and Stellantis wants to keep playing games.
Their attitude is: Stellantis giveth, and Stellantis taketh away.
Our attitude is: Save Belvidere.”
Read Fain's full statement here.
11:06 a.m. EDT
After reports of planned layoffs at some non-striking GM and Ford locations, UAW President Shawn Fain released the following statement Saturday:
Let’s be clear: if the Big Three decide to lay people off who aren’t on strike, that’s them trying to put the squeeze on our members to settle for less. With their record profits, they don’t have to lay off a single employee. In fact, they could double every autoworker’s pay, not raise car prices, and still rake in billions of dollars.Their plan won’t work. The UAW will make sure any worker laid off in the Big Three’s latest attack will not go without an income. We’ll organize one day longer than they can and go the distance to win economic and social justice at the Big Three.
10:29 a.m. EDT
Saturday morning, Stellantis provided the following overview of its offer to UAW workers:
Stellantis and the UAW have entered a critical phase of negotiations. Decisions made during this process will either enable our workers and our Company to thrive or will take us backward and endanger the long-term competitiveness of our Company, negatively impacting our workers and our communities.Unfortunately, the UAW’s leadership has decided to call a strike and publicly misrepresent several key elements of our offer.We believe it is imperative to set the record straight and provide the facts of Stellantis’ highly competitive offer, presented on September 14.Our goal is to secure a sustainable future that provides all our UAW-represented employees with an opportunity to thrive in a company that will be competitive during the automotive industry’s historic transformation.
Presented on September 14, the offer includes a 21% wage increase, 4-year wage progression, inflation protection, $1 billion investment in retirement security commitments, and facility modernization. In Saturday's statement, Stellantis reinforced its commitment to the bargaining process by promising to "bargain in good faith."
We have delivered four comprehensive economic proposals to date. Our bargaining team continues to work days, nights and weekends in a responsible manner to fully understand and address each of the Union’s nearly 1,000 demands. Our team continues to take a serious and responsible approach to find creative solutions for each of these demands. We have listened and will continue to bargain in good faith until an agreement is reached.When we work together, we win together. And we look forward to getting everyone back to work as soon as possible.
Read Stellantis' full statement here.
September 15, 2023
5 p.m. EDT
Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and UAW President Shawn Fain spoke at the rally in front of the UAW-Ford Heritage Center in Downtown Detroit.
4:27 p.m. EDT
Ford has released a statement saying the strike has already affected operations at the Michigan Assembly location where workers in two departments walked off the job last night. The statement says workers in areas that were not called to the picket line by the union have been laid off because components they make cannot be completed by the paint department, one of the striking units.
The statement reads as follows:
Our production system is highly interconnected, which means the UAW’s targeted strike strategy will have knock-on effects for facilities that are not directly targeted for a work stoppage. In this case, the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint has directly impacted the operations in other parts of the facility. Approximately 600 employees at Michigan Assembly Plant’s body construction department and south sub-assembly area of integrated stamping were notified not to report to work Sept. 15. This is not a lockout. This layoff is a consequence of the strike at Michigan Assembly Plant’s final assembly and paint departments, because the components built by these 600 employees use materials that must be e-coated for protection. E-coating is completed in the paint department, which is on strike.
2:27 p.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain released the following statement in response to President Biden's Friday address:
Last night we launched a historic strike at three major Big Three facilities after Ford, GM, and Stellantis each failed to offer a fair contract to our 150,000 autoworkers.For six weeks, the companies have had our economic demands. For six weeks, they chose not to get down to business. They squandered the time we had, and once again want to blame the workers for their mistakes and mismanagement.We agree with Joe Biden when he says “record profits mean record contracts.” We don’t agree when he says negotiations have broken down. Our national elected negotiators and UAW leadership are hard at work at the bargaining table. Our members and allies are standing strong at the picket lines. Anyone who wants to stand with us can grab a sign and hold the line.The companies and the media want to use fear tactics about how we’re going to wreck the economy. We’re not going to wreck the economy.The truth is we are going to wreck the billionaire economy.Working people are not afraid. You know who’s afraid? The corporate media is afraid. The White House is afraid. The companies are afraid.Today we’re rallying with our members. Tomorrow, we expect to be at the bargaining table. All three companies have received a comprehensive counteroffer from our union, and we await their response. So we’ll keep fighting for justice for the working class while the Big Three keep price-gouging the American consumer, ripping off the American taxpayer, and shortchanging the American worker.Enough is enough. It’s time to Stand Up.
2:11 p.m. EDT
Michigan's Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA)has provided guidance for UAW workers amid the strike at the Big 3.
The Michigan Department of Labor and Economic Opportunity (LEO) says striking workers may qualify for temporary benefits through the Unemployment Insurance Agency (UIA).
The following resources are available to assist workers:
- This guide to applying for benefits.
- Online coaching sessions for first-time applicants.
- Networking opportunities for workers of underserved backgrounds.
- Assistance with resetting MiWAM passwords.
For login help or other assistance, call 866-500-0017.
"Workers who were laid off or assigned reduced hours are encouraged to connect with Michigan Works! to learn about the services available to them," Michigan UIA said.
Workers can also call Michigan WORKS by calling 800-285-WORKS or visit their website.
12:20 p.m. EDT
President Joe Biden addressed the country Friday following the UAW's strike at the Big 3.
"In the past decade, auto companies have seen record profits, including the last years, because of the extraordinary skills and sacrifices of the UAW workers. Those record profits have not been shared fairly, in my view, with those workers," President Biden said.
In his address, he urged automakers, who have had record profits, to "go further" with contract talks.
"Record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared by record contracts for the UAW," Biden said.
Biden said he will send two White House senior advisers, Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Senior Adviser Gene Sperling, to Detroit in the coming days to assist with negotiations.
10 a.m. EDT
The UAW is holding a solidarity rally on Friday evening at the UAW-Ford National Programs Center along Jefferson Ave.
People are expected to arrive at 4 p.m. with the program beginning at 5 p.m. UAW President Shawn Fain and Sen. Bernie Sanders are expected to be among the speakers at the rally.
WXYZ will livestream the rally starting at 5 p.m.
8:00 a.m. EDT
General Motors CEO Mary Barra appeared on Good Morning America on Friday, just hours after the UAW went on strike against GM, Stellantis and Ford.
Barra said she is "extremely disappointed and frustrated we're on strike," and said the last offer GM made to the union was a "very strong offer."
That offer, according to Barra, was a record offer to the union and included wage increases of up to 20% over the life of the contract.
Barra also talked about her executive compensation package and profit-sharing checks that went to GM workers last year, and how they're working in the transition to electric vehicles.
The UAW is targeting locations for strikes, and right now, Barra said the Wentzville location in Missouri is the GM location on strike. That location produces the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, two mid-size pickup trucks, and a cargo vehicle, which GM said has high demand.
She was asked if they will be back at the bargaining table on Friday
"We're there now, we're ready and want to get back to it. We want to problem-solve and get people back to work as quickly as possible," Barra said.
12:52 a.m. EDT
General Motors issued the following statement regarding the strike at the Missouri location:
“The UAW has informed GM that they are on strike at Wentzville Assembly in Missouri as of 11:59 PM. We are disappointed by the UAW leadership's actions, despite the unprecedented economic package GM put on the table, including historic wage increases and manufacturing commitments. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible for the benefit of our team members, customers, suppliers and communities across the U.S. In the meantime, our priority is the safety of our workforce.”
UAW President Shawn Fain also marched with striking workers outside of the Ford Michigan Assembly location overnight.
12:30 a.m. EDT
Dave Zoia from auto publication WardsAuto joined 7 Action News late Thursday night and early Friday morning to discuss the strike and what we could expect.
12:15 a.m. EDT
UAW members from three targeted auto locations have walked out and begun striking. 7 Action News crews spoke with workers outside of locations in Wayne and Toledo, Ohio.
12:01 a.m. EDT
Stellantis issued the following statement after the contract deadline passed:
"We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership's refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers. We immediately put the Company in contingency mode and will take all the appropriate structural decisions to protect our North American operations and the Company."
September 14, 2023
11:59 p.m. EDT
The United Auto Workers union contract deadline has now officially passed with no sign of a deal with any of Detroit’s Big Three automakers: General Motors, Stellantis and Ford.
The deadline for a new contract was 11:59 p.m. on Thursday, Sept. 14.
The UAW is now striking the Big Three in a historic move.
Late Thursday, UAW President Shawn Fain identified the following locations as initial strike targets, instructing workers to walk out after the deadline:
- GM Wentzville Assembly, Local 2250 (Missouri)
- Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex, Local 12 (Ohio)
- Ford Michigan Assembly location, final assembly and paint only, Local 900 (Michigan)
WE WILL BE BREAKING IN TO COVER THE STRIKE DEADLINE. WATCH HERE AT 11:59 P.M.
10:47 p.m. EDT
Ford issued a statement saying the UAW presented a counterproposal to the automaker a few hours from the contract deadline.
"Unfortunately, the UAW’s counterproposal tonight showed little movement from the union’s initial demands submitted Aug. 3. If implemented, the proposal would more than double Ford’s current UAW-related labor costs, which are already significantly higher than the labor costs of Tesla, Toyota and other foreign-owned automakers in the United States that utilize non-union-represented labor," the statement read in part.
It ended with: "Ford remains absolutely committed to reaching an agreement that rewards our employees and protects Ford’s ability to invest in the future as we move through industry-wide transformation."
10 p.m. EDT
United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain outlined the location targets for Thursday night as part of their “Stand Up Strike” strategy if a deal is not reached.
The contract deadline between the UAW and the Big Three is 11:59 p.m. tonight.
The targets are:
- GM Wentzville Assembly, Local 2250 (Missouri)
- Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex, Local 12 (Ohio)
- Ford Michigan Assembly location, final assembly and paint only, Local 900 (Michigan)
"If we need to go all out, we will. Everything is on the table," said Fain on Thursday evening.
8:58 p.m. EDT
We're about an hour away from UAW President Shawn Fain's scheduled Facebook Live where he's expected to lay out the location targets to kick off the "Stand Up Strike" strategy if a deal is not reached before the deadline.
WATCH FAIN LIVE HERE AT 10 P.M.
2:56 p.m. EDT
General Motors CEO Mary Barra said in a letter to the GM Manufacturing Team that they put another proposal on the table this morning as the UAW contract deadline quickly approaches.
“We know a strong GM is important to all of us. We are working with urgency and have proposed yet another increasingly strong offer with the goal of reaching an agreement tonight. Remember: we had a strike in 2019 and nobody won," wrote Barra in the letter.
They outlined the offer below:
12:21 p.m. EDT
Teamsters union pledges solidarity with UAW workers amid potential strike.
In a Facebook post Thursday, Teamsters president Sean M. O’Brien said, “The International Brotherhood of Teamsters, including our members in the carhaul industry, stand in solidarity with the United Auto Workers to get the best contract possible from America’s biggest automakers. Just as the Teamsters saw at UPS, record profits at any company must result in record contracts for the workers who make those profits possible."
O'Brien added “Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors have a choice to make about the kind of companies they want to become. Do not go down the wrong road. Do not attempt to divide or cast aside dedicated union families who have given their lives to building a resilient American auto industry. All UAW International Union members deserve respect at work and dignity in retirement. They deserve strong wages in a new contract that rewards them for everything they do for the Big Three and to keep this country moving."
“You can be sure there is no division in America’s labor movement today. And you are urged to remember that Teamsters don’t cross picket lines.”
11:21 a.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain is expected to go live on Facebook again tonight at 10 p.m. to outline location targets for a potential strike after the contract deadline. It's part of the "Stand Up Strike" strategy the UAW outlined on Wednesday afternoon, where they are preparing to strike the Big Three but at a limited number of targeted locations. Based on how the bargaining is going, Fain said they could announce more locals to stand up and strike. He said the locals that aren't called to strike would maintain "a constant strike readiness" as they work under an expired agreement.
September 13, 2023
7:45 p.m. EDT
All three automakers released statements after UAW President Shawn Fain went live on Facebook for an update Wednesday night.
General Motors:
“We continue to bargain directly and in good faith with the UAW and have presented additional strong offers. We are making progress in key areas that we believe are most important to our represented team members. This includes historic guaranteed annual wage increases, investments in our U.S. manufacturing locations to provide opportunities for all, and shortening the time for in-progression employees to reach maximum wages.”
Stellantis:
We’re still awaiting the UAW’s response to the offer we presented yesterday. Our focus remains on bargaining in good faith to have a tentative agreement on the table before the collective bargaining agreement expires.
Ford President and CEO Jim Farley:
The Ford team continues to put 100% of our energy into reaching an agreement with the UAW that rewards our valued employees and allows the company to invest in the future. If there is a strike, it’s not because Ford didn’t make a great offer. We have and that’s what we can control. In fact, we have put four offers on the table starting Aug. 29 and each one has been increasingly generous. We still have not received any genuine counteroffer. On Tuesday, Bill Ford and I sat down with the union at the main table for a major offer. As we were walking in the room, we learned President Fain would not be attending. Nevertheless, Bill and I laid out a historically generous offer to the UAW Ford bargaining team because we listened to the UAW demands and we care about our employees. Here are the facts. Ford: ' • Significantly increased our proposal on wage increases; • Offered Cost of Living Adjustments, or COLA; • Fully eliminated wage tiers so all employees can achieve industry-leading wages – and shortened to four from eight years the time it takes hourly employees to reach the top wage; • Increased contributions to in-progression retirement savings; • Protected health care benefits that would continue to rank in the top 1% of all employersponsored medical plans for lowest employee cost sharing; and • Added more paid time off, with up to five weeks of vacation and 17 paid holidays each year (with the addition of Juneteenth). The first we learned President Fain received the offer was on Facebook Live this evening. So again, we are here and ready to reach a deal. We should be working creatively to solve hard problems rather than planning strikes and PR events. Please remember that Ford, more than any other company, has bet on the UAW and treated the UAW with respect. We have been incredibly supportive of the union. We have gone well beyond any contract language in adding jobs and investment. The future of our industry is at stake. Let’s do everything we can to avert a disastrous outcome.
5 p.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain went on Facebook Live to update autoworkers and the public on where negotiations currently stand. He announced the "Stand Up Strike" strategy that the union would take if a deal is not met by the deadline. He also said local unions will be notified when to begin demonstrations from leaders at the national level and to maintain a strike readiness until then.
11 a.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain is expected to give an update on the Big Three negotiations at 5 p.m. on Facebook Live.
8 a.m. EDT
UAW President Shawn Fain appeared on Good Morning America Wednesday morning saying that progress has been made and they are planning to meet with the companies more on Wednesday.
September 12, 2023
Ford CEO Jim Farley said the company submitted an offer to the union on Tuesday, calling it “the most lucrative offer in 80 years of working with the UAW.”
He said the offer includes large pay increases and top 1% health care. The offer also includes profit-sharing, inflation protection, removing tiered labor and five weeks of vacation, which would add on 17 days.
“Lot in the offer. But this will be… the most lucrative offer and will require a lot of belt-tightening at the company,” Farley said. “And there's a limit to how far we can go because we have to keep investing for the transition of the industry.”
September 12, 2023
UAW President Shawn Fain appeared on CNN Monday night and said the union has been countering offers from the Big Three, and said that any strike would hurt only the "billionaire class."
Asked about concern that a strike could harm to the economy and drive up car prices, Fain replied that new car prices have gone up in the last four years without any strike or big raises for his member.
“In the last four years, the price of cars went up 30%. [Automakers’] CEO pay went up 40%. No one said a word. No one had any complaints about that but God forbid the workers ask for their fair share,” he said. “It’s not [that] we’ll wreck the economy. We’ll wreck their economy, the economy that only works for the billionaire class and not the working class.”
September 11, 2023
Stellantis released on Monday to employees on the negotiations with the UAW.
Tobin Williams, the senior VP of North American human resources, said there is good energy among both teams who worked over the meeting for a contract.
"I’m pleased to report that the Stellantis and UAW subcommittees have reached tentative agreements in a number of important areas, including health and safety, which is of critical importance as the well-being of our people is at the core of our corporate values," he said in the update.
September 8, 2023
Stellantis became the latest Big Three automaker to send a proposal contract to the United Auto Workers union on Friday.
The automaker outlined the proposal on Friday morning, saying it has been a "really good week at the bargaining table," and progress has been made on many issues.
This is the first economic proposal sent by Stellantis, and includes wage increases in each year of the contract total 14.5% for most employees.
The breakdown of the proposed contract is below.
For most represented employees
- Wage increases in each year of the contract totaling 14.5% with no lump sump
Inflation protection
- $6,000 one-time inflation protection payment in the first year of the contract
- $4,500 in inflation protection payments over the final three years of the contract
For all represented employees
- Juneteenth recognized as a paid holiday
For supplemental employees
- Wage increase from starting rate of $15.78 per hour to $20 per hour
For in-progression employees
- Accelerate progression timeline from eight years to six years, potentially reducing the time that employees can reach the max wage rate by 25%
Friday afternoon, UAW tweeted a statement in response to the proposal, saying "They have the money. They just don't want Stellantis workers to get our fair share."
See the full tweet below:
STELLANTIS FINALLY RESPONDS.
— UAW (@UAW) September 8, 2023
They have the money. They just don't want Stellantis workers to get our fair share. pic.twitter.com/8UvgKKnkjF
Friday evening, Fain went live on Facebook to discuss the proposals from all three automakers, explaining where things stand.
September 6, 2023
Fain said on Sept. 6 that the union planned to on strike against any Detroit automaker that didn't reach a new agreement by the time the contract expires.
Speaking to the AP, Fain said that the union would have to give up some of its demands, but the plan would be to strike if a deal isn't reached.
September 4, 2023
Speaking to reporters on Labor Day, President Joe Biden said he is not worried about a UAW strike against the Big Three.
"No, I'm not worried about a strike," Biden said. "It's not gonna happen."
UAW President Shawn Fain said he was shocked by Biden's statement.
“He must know something we don’t know. Maybe the companies plan on walking in and giving us our demands on the night before, I don’t know, but he’s on the inside on something I don’t know about," Fain said. "Our intent is not to strike. Our intent is to get a fair agreement. That’s been our intent from Day One."
August 31, 2023
The UAW and Fain said it filed unfair labor practice complaints against Stellantis and GM, arguing they failed to make counteroffers to the union's economic demands.
At the time, Ford was the only company to make a counteroffer, but Fain said it rejected most of the union's proposal.
In a statement, Stellantis said the unfair labor charges are not based on fact, and that it will vigorously defend itself against them.
“We are disappointed to learn that Mr. Fain is more focused on filing frivolous legal charges than on actual bargaining,” the statement said. “We will not allow Mr. Fain’s tactics to distract us from that important work to secure the future for our employees.”
GM said it strongly refutes the union's labor accusation.
“We believe it has no merit and is an insult to the bargaining committees,” GM said in a statement. “We have been hyper-focused on negotiating directly and in good faith with the UAW and are making progress.”
August 25, 2023
Fain announced that 97% of UAW workers voted yes to authorize a strike against the Big Three.
While a strike authorization vote passing doesn’t mean a picket line is imminent, workers say it is a strong show of force and offers leverage at the bargaining table if the union cannot strike a deal with the automakers by the end of the negotiation period.
August 23, 2023
The UAW held a practice picket in front of the Mack Assembly location in Detroit.
“We don’t want to strike, but if we have to, we will. If we don’t get a fair contract, we’re willing to walk out,” Tiffany Ogletree, a Stellantis employee.
August 9, 2023
Stellantis submitted a proposal to the UAW for a new contract, but Fain threw it in the trash during a Facebook Live.
August 2-4, 2023
The UAW presented Ford, GM and Stellantis with its list of demands going forward in contract negotiations. It first presented them to Stellantis, then to GM and finally to Ford.
The 10 demands are:
- Eliminate tiers
- Substantial wage increases: we're demanding double-digit pay raises
- Restore COLA
- Defined benefit pension for all workers
- Re-establish retiree medical benefits
- Significantly increase retiree pay
- Right to strike over location closures
- Working family protection program
- End abuse of temp workers
- And the one grabbing a lot of attention is a 32-hour work week instead of the traditional 40
"We have to get back to a standard where we have a quality of life for our members. These are quality-of-life issues," said Fain.
July 13, 2023
Contract negotiations began between the UAW and the Big Three. The day before, Fain announced there would be no public handshake ceremony and instead, he traveled around the area to meet UAW members.
June 16, 2023
Fain issued a strong warning while speaking to members that the union was preparing for strikes against Ford, GM and Stellantis.
March 25, 2023
Shawn Fain is elected the new president of the UAW after a run-off election. Fain had campaigned on the platform of taking on the Big Three to restore concessions the union had made in the past.
October 25, 2019
The UAW-GM contract was officially ratified by members and the strike ended on day 40.
October 16, 2019
A tentative agreement was reached with the UAW and General Motors.
September 15, 2019
Back in 2019, the UAW went on strike against General Motors after the two failed to reach a tentative agreement. At the time, 48,000 UAW-GM workers walked off the job.
The strike lasted 40 days.
