It’s looking more and more likely that the United Auto Workers labor union, better known as the UAW, will strike at targeted facilities at each of the Big Three Detroit automakers as the current labor contracts are set to expire tonight at 11:59 p.m. UAW President Shawn Fain addressed the ongoing contract negotiations and indicated that while some progress has been made, it was not enough to satisfy union demands. Meanwhile, GM has responded with a statement that it continues to bargain in good faith and remains firm in its goal to reach an agreement before expiration of the current contract.
Per a report from The Detroit News, UAW President Fain addressed the ongoing contract negotiations in a livestream event late yesterday afternoon.
“From job security to ending tiers, from cost-of-living allowance to wage increases, we do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifice and contributions our members have made to these companies,” Fain said during the event. “To win, we’re likely going to have to take action.”
GM posted a statement yesterday to its website dedicated to providing updates on the 2023 contract negotiations, saying that it has proposed “historic guaranteed annual wage increases, investments in our U.S. manufacturing plants to provide opportunities for all and shortening the time for in-progression employees to reach maximum wages.”
Fain indicated that GM is now offering an 18-percent raise over four-and-a-half years, up from an initial 10-percent increase. For is now proposing a 20-percent increase, up from an initial 9-percent increase, while Stellantis is proposing a 17.5-percent increase.
However, despite the progress made thus far, Fain says it’s not enough.
“Altogether, 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,” Fain said. “And their proposals don’t reflect the massive profits that we’ve generated for these companies.”
The choice to conduct walkouts at specific facilities, rather than all plants all at once, is considered somewhat risky, but could provide the UAW with greater flexibility as negotiations continue. Fain said that the targeted strike will “keep the companies guessing.”
“The Stand-Up Strike begins with all of our locals, from parts distribution centers to assembly plants, maintaining a constant strike readiness,” Fain said, referencing the historic sit-down strikers of the ‘30s.
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Comments
Owned several GM cars in the past and two Jeeps. Thank you UAW for convincing me to never purchase another one of your vehicles so I never put a penny in your greedy palms again.
I’m ok with that, when I decide to purchase my next Union-made car, I won’t have to deal with dealer markups.
G R E E D !!!!!!!
You might not have to deal with dealer markups, but you would be stupid to think that huge wage increases won’t increase the MSRP of these vehicles before they reach the dealer…
And Tim, you would be stupid to think that the 10% labor of the total cost of each vehicle produced in the USA is the sole reason for price increases in new cars and trucks because you don’t see those very same vehicle’s that are also being produced in low wage 3rd world countries costing any less when they hit the dealers lots here in the USA.
A 20 percent wage increase seems quite fair.
20% pay increase in their (UAW workers) pay are peanuts compared to 40% pay increase the CEOs have gotten.
Another increase in MSRP with no rebates and the price of used cars increasing. Just what the average, middle class person wanted to hear. The proposal is too high but with that said, the CEO salary should be reduced by 50%. More people will just have to drive their present car for 10 years rather than 5 years.
I think 22.5 will be the settling point.
That’s what I have gotten. Not sure how bonuses should be handled but I have to assume it is a function of reaching sales goals and profitability. As others have pointed out, above that looks like greed.
Nice red shirts…..
Fain needs to learn how businesses operate, and learn that GM is not making all these profits he claims they are. They’re investing in EVs, and because of the government, if they don’t, Fain et al will no longer have jobs in the future. Shareholders aren’t even getting paid. And all jobs have tiers, for a good reason! And you’re employees, not volunteers, so the lines about sacrifices etc. are ridiculous. Stop this nonsense! And these employees should stop making Fain rich, too.
Not to mention “record profits” is only possible due to inflation. Their actual profits arent really all that rosy a picture.
Typical union bosses. “Targeting” plants that will shut down all production so most UAW workers will be furloughed without pay while they conserve their strike budget. It wouldn’t suprise me if the UAW inadvertently busts itself up this time. Seams like they got similar leadership to Disney whom seem hellbent on destroying their company.
You are correct in that these ‘record’ profits are not even close to records when considering inflation. Fain keeps pointing out these so called records, but neglects to point out that the UAW workers also received ‘record’ profit sharing as well – GM recently paid out over $500M via $12k bonuses. The real culprit is our d@mn authoritarian government’s obsession with printing/borrowing money to spend on special interests driving record inflation. In terms of real purchasing power, these UAW workers (like most Americans) are making way less than they did 10 years ago. I think the Big 3 will be content to let the strike continue for weeks to reduce inventory and then settle on a 30% pay increase, but keep the 40 hour work week. Either way, these companies and the UAW will continue to decline.
20% is not even 40hr in 4 yrs
Math Be hard.
If you make $100 / Wk and you start making $120 / week, You are now making $600 every 5 weeks instead of $500 every 5 weeks. So, you basically are making an extra week’s worth of pay every 5 weeks. I guess if you only work 4 weeks out of each year, your math is excellent.
There are three kinds of people in the world.
Those that can count…and those that can’t.
If you ask me both sides deserve each other. They have to realize their enemy is not each other but that clown in the White House. The UAW supports these Democratic Marxists that are hell bent on regulating the industry out of business, and gm and Ford have become woke social organizations that are following Biden over the cliff.
The car companies and the union have to realize their organizations are not about being woke, or “social justice” or saving the planet. They should be about providing vehicles that the public WANT at a reasonable price and unite against anything that goes against this.
Not nearly as many UAW members as you would “assume” support Biden or the Democrats anymore, and didn’t support them last election. You may have noticed (Or Not) that UAW President Fain would NOT go on record as saying the UAW supports Biden in his Re-election bid in 2024 either when asked by CNN.
Perhaps the UAW membership is not as supportive of the Democratic tax and spend party as yesteryear, but their dues support the party like it or not. I feel the Democratic party left the man/women willing to work for a living in support of government give away policies. Your tax $$$$ at work.
I guess Mary Buick Envision Made in China-Barra, who made over $96 million the past two years, will not agree to making $1/yr. for the next 5 years, if she did the UAW may soften their demands.
CEO pay is usually tied to targeted goals and not one of the hourly workers have the kind of pressure a CEO has. A bad CEO can ruin a business or make it very profitable, hence the high compensation. How much should an employee make for putting lug nuts on? Investors take all the risk with their own money. How much money does an hourly employee invest? They want all the rewards with none of the risk. Their demands are way out of line. They will strike but the Union bosses will continue to receive their pay instead of strike pay.
you must be in a managerial position! no one deserves that kind of bonus and then expect it’s workforce to accept a peanut raise for 3 years! Gm is the greedy one here! I’ve worked at GM for the last 18 years. I started at $34.50 an hour 18 years ago and with all my raises over those 18 years i still make under $37 an hour!!! JUST OVER $2 an hour over 18 YEARS!!!! so you are telling me We are being greedy? I think not! I would love to see Mary Barra take a discount and loss of 2weeks holidays like we all did during the lean years. you people have got to stop reading the news, and big corporations they are corrupt and only down play all unions because they want the general public to think we are the bad people! we are just trying to make an honest wage like everyone else. Is it the unions fault that the average person works for poverty wages while all these corporations make billions in profit? I think not! it would be great to see the country make an honest wage but these big corporations have no heart! It’s all about making huge profits on the backs of the middle and lower class, the rich get richer while the poor get kicked to the dirt till they collapse!
The union’s back is to the wall. If they don’t strike, then the “EV revolution” will decimate their ranks. This doesn’t even cover the burdens of the past three years. Rising inflation and medical problems have impacted everyone, but especially the worker. This isn’t even about a union ideology. It’s about preserving their 2019-era salary by 2030. That’s a tall order, but given the ramifications otherwise, I’d say the union is willing to maximize damage to the Big Three until they capitulate. Stellantis will likely fold first and then it’s a matter of time whether GM or Ford will hold out.
Good points. Government mandating EV’s is a big part of the dilema the unions are in.
And it begins.
Inflation Reduction Act pumping billions of dollars into the auto industry so I’m sure the UAW will get close to what they want and we will pay the price for new vehicles.
My grandpa worked for GM for 50 years and the UAW provided him with a good life and allowed my grandma to stay home and raise their 3 kids. He never complained about his pay, he was just happy for what he had. Because of him, I have only bought UAW-built cars from the Big 3…mostly GM. But that being said, I am ashamed that my last vehicle purchase earlier this year was a UAW-built truck. I liked that it was built in the USA and I was able to utilize my family’s GM discount even though my grandpa passed away 21 years ago. Listening to some of the interviews on the TV this morning turned my stomach. There are people on the picket line crying about living paycheck to paycheck and needing a 40% raise to buy groceries or put gas in their car. If you are making the wages of some of these people and you are still living paycheck to paycheck, you are doing something wrong. Aside from the skilled trades workers that earn their money (like my grandpa and my wife’s grandpa), most of these emblem applying, headlight installing, lugnut tighteners wouldn’t survive 5 minutes in a non-union job with real labor. Never again will I buy a car made by these losers…
The world needs to unburden itself from these unions. They started with good intent but have devolved into corruption, entitlement, sloth, mob rule and blatant discrimination. They’re not even jobs anymore, they’re like political appointments where the whole concept of merit based employment has been discarded in favor of ‘who pays their dues stays and get protected at all costs’.
I’d tell the unions either knock this sh*t off and get back to work or we’re closing the plant and moving the rest of the operations to China and Mexico. Unions are a blight upon EVERY industry and shouldn’t be tolerated by industry OR the American people footing the bill for these democrat boondoggles.
The power of Reagans trickle down economics, give the money to the higher ups and it will trickle down, what a joke, that’s why you have the ceo’s and executives making all the money instead of the workers. Go UNION !!!
Everyone complains about the money executives make. You all have the opportunity to be an executive you just have to work for it. This is America, the land of opportunity. There are millions of jobs out there. If you are not happy with your job or the company you work for change. The company you work for is not responsible for your wants and needs, you are! You all hide behind the Union who’s leaders are making as much money as the executives you are complaining about hoping they are going to negotiate in your best interest. You are letting them control your life. I expect a lot of thumbs down from the people who can’t or don’t want to make decisions. If you want our government, unions and corporations to run and control your life, go for it, just stop complaining.
For years we see vehicle transaction price increasing every month. CEO compensation increases exponentially.
Now GM is crying that they can’t give a fair increase to their employees?
Especially those who are tier workers and make peanuts. WTF.
Why are they tier employees? UAW voted for it! They screw their own
Not invented by the workers. It was Forced by GM.
Sad the UAW members voted for the contract that approved it.
But it’s time to eliminate it now.
Detroit and the UAW……rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic. The iceberg is NON-UNION COMPETITION, domestic produced and foreign.
Very large part of the workers the UAW is making these over the top demands for are greedy unskilled labor. They have no concern for the manufacturer or the consumer, only their pay. Perhaps it would be a different story if the end product was fault free.
UAW rank and file. Mostly decent folks.
UAW “Leadership” crimminal parasites.
UAW= Unemployed Auto Workers.
It’s ama it’s amazing to me how everyone has something to say when you’re not the employee that is down on the line busting your ass every day standing. Sometimes you get no breaks. Sometimes you get 20 minute lunches so the profits that are being made by the rich people is off of our backs. We are the ones on the floor making those parts making sure that they’re perfect enough to put in the cars and trucks that you people buy and spend your money on
Button your shirt,your bleeding heart will fall out.
It’s the responsibility of Detroit and every UAW employee to end up building quality, contemporary vehicles at a competitive price. Fail and everyone loses.
Yes, CEOs make too much money.