UAW prepares to strike as contract talks hit deadline

[libertybele]

UAW prepares to strike as contract talks hit deadline

Staff at three of America's biggest carmakers are poised to strike in an unprecedented co-ordinated action.

With current labour contracts set to expire on Thursday night, the United Autoworkers Union said the companies had not put forward acceptable offers.

The fight threatens to trigger higher prices for buyers and major disruption for the firms: GM, Ford and Stellantis.

The UAW said the likely strike would start on Friday at a small number of sites - with the potential to expand.

"We are seeing movement from the companies, but they're still not willing to agree on the kinds of raises that will make up for inflation on top of decades of falling wages," UAW president Shawn Fain said on Wednesday in an update to workers.

The union had sought a 40% pay increase for its roughly 140,000 members over four years, noting a comparable rise in pay for company leaders.

Other demands included:

    a four-day working week
    the return of automatic pay increases tied to inflation
    stricter limits on how long workers can be considered "temporary" staff who do not receive union benefits

Talks between the two sides, which kicked off in July, were tense from the start, with Mr Fain forgoing the symbolic handshake with executives that has traditionally launched negotiations. Last month, 97% of members voted to authorise a strike.

As of Wednesday,the three companies have upped their initial proposals, with Ford offering a 20% hike in pay over the contract term, GM offering 18%, and Stellantis, the owner of Jeep and Chrysler, 17.5%, Mr Fain said.

Workers said the companies could afford to be more generous, after years of record profits.

"In my opinion we are owed this," said Paul Raczka, who works in a Stellantis factory in Michigan making Jeep Grand Cherokees.
Paul Raczka.................

https://www.bbc.com/news/business-66803278

[DefiantMassRINO]

40% pay increase - Are you $h!tt!ng me?

a four-day working week - Are we talking 32 hour work weeks or (4) 10 hour days?

the return of automatic pay increases tied to inflation - Nope.

stricter limits on how long workers can be considered "temporary" staff who do not receive union benefits - Reasonable

[Fishrrman]

Let them strike.

No longer matters.

[corbe]

   The big 3 anticipated this and not only recovered from the 'chip shortage' they have managed to fill all their overflow lots to capacity with new cars/trucks when few people can afford a new car or truck with bidenomics raging.  I'd postulate that they have a 4-6 month supply.

[libertybele]

40% pay increase - Are you $h!tt!ng me?

a four-day working week - Are we talking 32 hour work weeks or (4) 10 hour days?

the return of automatic pay increases tied to inflation - Nope.

stricter limits on how long workers can be considered "temporary" staff who do not receive union benefits - Reasonable

I agree with you, but they'll eventually get their way with we the consumer paying the higher prices.

[catfish1957]

They are hell bent on making sure soon you aren't going to be able to buy a new car for under a $100K.

[Wingnut]

Wonder how long the average UAW worker can afford to stay on strike?  The strike fund ain't as deep as it once was back in the olden days.

IIRC Honda, Toyota, Nissan and a few others are Union Free so there is that option for cars. 

[Kamaji]

They are hell bent on making sure soon you aren't going to be able to buy a new car for under a $100K.

Yup.

[Kamaji]

And they're on strike:  https://nypost.com/2023/09/14/detroit-automakers-and-auto-workers-remain-far-from-a-deal-as-end-of-day-strike-deadline-approaches/

[mountaineer]

They are hell bent on making sure soon you aren't going to be able to buy a new car for under a $100K.

The market for used vehicles will soar.

Working a 32-hour week for 40-hour pay just makes perfect sense. I think we've seen how this goes at McDonald's, where hamburger flippers make $15-20 per hour, and the prices just keep going up.

[Gefn]

The United Auto Workers union is on strike against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the first time in its history that it has struck all three of America’s unionized automakers at the same time.

Workers on Friday walked out of three plants – one each from the Big Three automakers – in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio. Picketers were met with cheers from sign-waving union members.

The UAW referred to its targeted strike of three plants as a “Stand Up Strike,” which it called a strategic “new approach” to walking off the job.


https://www.cnn.com/2023/09/15/business/auto-workers-strike/index.html

[Kamaji]

I see a boom in the market for assembly line robots, and a bunch of new start-ups developing AI for assembling cars.

These fools are going to price themselves right out of their jobs soon enough.

[mountaineer]

These fools are going to price themselves right out of their jobs soon enough.

It's the union way.

[Kamaji]

It's the union way.

It certainly is.  Back in the 1960s, my FiL had a pretty decent job as an assembler with an aircraft factory on L.I.; however, the union got greedy, and it wasn't long before the company closed up shop and moved elsewhere.  My FiL ended up driving school buses for the rest of his life.  That job was also union, but even so, the pay and benefits from that job were a long way short of what he had been getting at the aircraft factory.

[Wingnut]

It's the union way.

"Look for the Union Label".

[mystery-ak]

CNN’s Tapper to Ford CEO Farley: You Have Given Yourself Huge Raises, Why Can’t Workers Share in the Profits?

Thursday on CNN’s “The Lead,” anchor Jake Tapper asked Ford CEO Jim Farley why, after CEOs got large raises, they can’t “share the profits” with the workers to avoid a strike.

https://www.breitbart.com/clips/2023/09/14/cnns-tapper-to-ford-ceo-farley-you-have-given-yourself-huge-raises-why-cant-workers-share-in-the-profits/

[DefiantMassRINO]

This is not the America of 1950s where there are jobs around the corner for those without Masters Degrees.

If the union workers want to share in the profits, they can buy the company's stock or stock options, if offered.

Executive inflation is an issue that needs to be taken on by Boards, shareholders, and feduciary fund managers.

Robots don't strike.  Some states don't have unions.  Other countries would love to the auto industry relocate to them.

[catfish1957]

I love the idiocy of the UAW.  Do they really think they will garner public support asking to be paid  for 40 hours while doing  32 hours of work.....  while passing the cost on to the consumer.  I hope they lose their asses on this one.

[Wingnut]

Joe Biden is scheduled to address the strike later today.  His remarks with shall include, lots of mumbling, anger, a few whispering statements and he'll close with a personal story about the time he worked on a GM assembly line building 67 Corvettes.

[Fishrrman]

From reply 10 above:
"Workers on Friday walked out of three plants – one each from the Big Three automakers – in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio. Picketers were met with cheers from sign-waving union members.
The UAW referred to its targeted strike of three plants as a “Stand Up Strike,” which it called a strategic “new approach” to walking off the job."

Wait a minute.

Does this mean that "the strike" (against each of the automakers) is at ONLY ONE LOCATION?

If so, what's going on at the other assembly and fabrication plants?
Business as usual?

The "traditional" way the UAW conducted strikes was at ONE of "the big three" automakers, at all that [one] company's plants.

But something else seems to be going on here.

I'm guessing this is really a "for show" strike and not a REAL strike (in which the entire company would be shut down)...?

[corbe]

   My question also @Fishrrman (I did a brief search this morning, to no avail) to figure out what they were producing at these 3 plants they Striked, worthless cars no one was buying anyway?   

[Hoodat]

The market for used vehicles will soar.

The market for non-union American made autos (VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, etc.) will also soar

[Wingnut]

The market for non-union American made autos (VW, Honda, Toyota, Hyundai, Kia, BMW, etc.) will also soar

I gave up on GM and Ford years ago.  Might still look at Ram or Jeep.  But I like Toyota because they are not giving up on ICE engines.

[catfish1957]

I gave up on GM and Ford years ago.  Might still look at Ram or Jeep.  But I like Toyota because they are not giving up on ICE engines.

If the dipshits at Ford prefer not to make ICE F-150's, I can definitinely live with a Tundra.

[corbe]

   Tundra's are built 40 miles south of me in SanTonio, non-union shop.