Armed with strike authorization votes by its 150,000 members at Detroit’s three automakers, the UAW is waiting on responses from all three companies.
Unifor, the union representing auto workers in Canada, is raising the pressure on Ford, General Motors and Stellantis by announcing its members also have authorized strikes at all three.
The UAW’s contracts with the automakers expire at midnight Sept. 14. UAW President Shawn Fain has not indicated whether the union will strike one, two or all three companies in case a satisfactory contract is not reached.
Unifor General President Lana Payne says Unifor members are looking for substantial raises, pension improvements, greater job security and a fair share of work created by the industry’s transition to electrification. Unifor’s contracts expire Sept. 18.
Meanwhile, Fain is encouraging his members to hold practice pickets around the Detroit automakers’ factories to underscore the union's determination to make big gains this year.
The UAW is demanding an end to the tiered wage structure as well as a 40% pay increase, the restoration of cost-of-living payments and defined-benefit pension plans for new workers as well as a shorter work week.
Fain says the companies can easily afford these contract terms, given their profits over the past decade.
Art Wheaton of the Cornell School of Industrial Relations says the demands reflect the fact that auto workers’ standard of living has generally declined over the past two decades.
More than half of UAW members working in the automotive sector no longer have pensions, according to the union.
For the companies, the situation is complicated by the need to finance electrification and supply-chain disruptions that have reduced inventory.
“We continue to work hard with the UAW every day and bargain in good faith to ensure we get this agreement right for our team members, our customers, suppliers, the community and the business," GM says in an emailed statement.
