Workers at a total of 38 auto parts factories, including the Martinsburg Parts Distribution Center in West Virginia, will join the United Auto Workers (UAW) strike against Detroit. Three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
All General Motors and Stellantis parts distribution facilities across the country are called upon to stand up and strike Friday at noon.
The UAW called the strike a week ago after negotiations with all three companies failed. Last week, about 13,000 workers were called to strike at the Ford assembly plant in Michigan, the GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri, and the Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. These workers will continue to strike.
Democrats support UAW strikes, Republicans criticize push for electric cars
UAW (*38*) Shawn Fain said in a social media livestream Friday morning that the union had been informing automakers of its demands for two months, but the companies had shown no interest in negotiating, he said.
However, Fain said Ford in particular has made stern efforts to meet the demands over the last week. Although the strikes will continue, Fain said Ford is showing that it is stern about reaching an agreement.
And while Ford isn’t quite there yet, Fain said, efforts today are focused on auto parts makers GM and Stellantis’ plants in 20 states, including Michigan, Ohio, Wisconsin, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Colorado, West Virginia, Tennessee and Minnesota.
“We’ve been saying it for weeks. We’re not going to wait forever for a fair contract at the Big Three. The companies know how to fix this. The public is on our side and UAW members are ready to stand up,” Fain said. “And we’re going to keep going, keep organizing and keep expanding the Stand Up Strike if necessary.”
The union is pursuing a strategy of staggered strikes to “keep companies guessing.” It calls this the “stand up strike” plan, in which the union president announces at regular intervals that companies will go on strike that day, which the union says leaves room for the strike to escalate.
The union represents around 150,000 auto workers across the country.
The strike represents a historic moment for the union, as it is the first time in its 88-year history that it has called a strike at all three Detroit automakers simultaneously.
Striking workers at the Ford assembly plant in Michigan have Advance payment that the billionaire Ford CEOs who helped them make millions deserve a living wage and adequate benefits, including reasonable working hours.
The UAW union’s demands include that automakers introduce 32-hour work weeks and end the tiered pay system for workers as they seek better wages and benefits throughout their tenure.
There are news reports that the UAW has scaled back its demands for a 40% wage augment over the course of four years. UAW website appears to be maintaining the 40% mark. The union is also demanding updated and improved benefits such as pensions and more paid vacation.
Fain has invited (*38*) Joe Biden to join UAW workers on the picket line. Several union leaders, including U.S. Sen. John Fetterman (D-Penn.), U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vit.) and Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, have joined union members since the strike.
Former (*38*) Donald Trump announced that he would not attend the second Republican presidential debate on Wednesday. He would instead come to Detroit to meet with striking autoworkers – much to Fain’s dismay.
“Every fiber of our union is put into fighting the billionaire class and an economy that enriches people like Donald Trump at the expense of workers,” Fain said in a statement this week. “We cannot keep electing billionaires and millionaires who have no idea what it’s like to live paycheck to paycheck and struggle to survive and expect them to solve the problems of the working class.”
Details of the event were not announced.
