The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is expanding strikes against US automakers Ford and General Motors (GM).
The union will strike Ford's Chicago SUV assembly plant and GM's Lansing Delta Township, Michigan, SUV plant. The adjacent Lansing Regional Stamping plant will not strike, UAW president Shawn Fain said in a Facebook Live event today.
"Sadly, despite our willingness to bargain, Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress at the table," Fain said. "To be clear, negotiations haven't broken down. We're still talking with all three companies and I'm still hopeful we can reach a deal that reflects the incredible sacrifices and the contributions our members have made over the last decade."
GM's executive vice-president of global manufacturing Gerald Johnson said a "comprehensive counteroffer from UAW leadership" had not been received after the company's 21 September proposal.
"Calling more strikes is just for the headlines, not real progress," Johnson said. "The number of people negatively impacted by these strikes is growing and includes our customers who buy and love the products we build."
Ford did not immediately respond to requests for comment but set a call at 1pm ET with chief executive Jim Farley to update the public on its contract negotiations.
Fain cited new progress made with Stellantis as to why that company did not see additional strike actions.
"Moments before this broadcast Stellantis made significant progress on the 2009 cost of living allowance, the right not to cross a picket line, as well as the right to strike over product amendments, plant closures and outsourcing moratoriums," Fain said. "We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues."
On 15 September, the UAW struck three assembly plants — one each at Ford, GM and Stellantis — targeting all three companies at the same time for the first time in the union's history. It then expanded the strike on 22 September to 36 parts distribution centers at GM and Stellantis, saying that enough progress had been made at the time with Ford to exclude the company from further actions.
The original strike led GM to idle its Fairfax, Kansas, plant because of a lack of parts, while Stellantis curtailed production and laid off workers at one of its parts facilities in Ohio and later at two plants in Kokomo, Indiana. Ford also had to lay off workers at its Wayne, Michigan, plant that was among the original strike targets.
Integrated steelmaker US Steel idled the remaining blast furnace at its Granite City, Illinois, steel mill in response to the strike.
