The United Auto Workers union has planned a strike voted for next week amid its ongoing contract negotiations with General Motors.
According to ABC 12, the vote will be held on August 27 and 28 – a couple of weeks before the union’s contract with GM, Ford and Fiat Chrysler is set to expire.
The strike vote is held to give negotiators permission to go on strike throughout the contract discussions and does not necessarily mean that UAW workers will go on strike or that they are planning to, the union said.
The UAW’s relationship with GM is believed to be the most contentious of the Detroit Big Three, with the automaker closing four major American plants and laying off thousands of workers over the past year. The automaker has also received backlash for allocating new products, such as the Chevrolet Blazer and upcoming Chevrolet TrailBlazer, to foreign plants.
A report published by The Detroit Free Press this month indicated that the UAW has the most positive with relationship with Ford and may seek to strike a deal with the Dearborn-based company first, using it as leverage when it heads to the table with GM and FCA. The Free Press also spoke to UAW workers who were making advanced payments on bills and preparing for the possibility of a strike as they look to get a slice of a healthy automotive industry’s profits.
An announcement with regard to which automaker will enter official contract discussions with the UAW is expected to be made on or before Labor Day.
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