By Tanya Terry
UAW President Shawn Fain has promised an expansion of the strikes that have been going on at three Midwest plants at 12 p.m. EDT on today, on Friday, September 22, unless “serious progress” occurs as a result of talking that has been taking place.
Last week, the UAW launched strikes at one assembly plant each of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (a Chrysler parent), the first coordinated action against all three Detroit automakers in history. The striking plants are the Wayne, Michigan Ford Assembly Plant; the Toledo, Ohio Stellantis Assembly Plant and the Wentzville, Missouri GM Assembly Plant. About 12,700 workers are on strike out of the unions 146,000 who work at the three automakers.
UAW workers say they would like to see change to the wage structure that they say has created a large gap between new and long-time employees. They complain the wage structure has caused many of the workers to have to work two jobs. Fain has argued Detroit automakers have not shared their huge profits with workers, and the UAW has demanded a 40% pay hike.
General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have proposed 20% raises over 4 1/2 years.
Some have predicted the strikes will continue for several weeks.
Parts shortages and other effects of the strike have caused the three automakers to lay off employees.
Still, the strikes continue to be a source of inspiration to many around the nation.
Mary Kay Henry, international president of 2 million-member SEIU, talked with the Courier about how she feels the UAW strike will encourage workers to keep seizing their power across the economy.
“SEIU members across healthcare, public services and property services stand in solidarity with the UAW,” Henry said. “When the UAW wins, all of our members are going to win. We are battling Hospital Corporation of America, Starbucks. We’re trying to take on McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King. So, when the UAW takes on GM, Ford and Stellantis, they take on the billionaire class in this country and call the question on CEOs that have gotten 40% raises, record profits, needing to get invested in UAW members who’ve sacrificed in 2008 and now need to get wages and benefits they deserve.”
Henry stated the biggest similarity between the UAW and SEIU and SEIU members are also “fed up with a status quo that doesn’t work for any working family in this county.”
Henry also said the strategy of targeting the three final assembly plants instead of the auto parts plants as a strategy she has “never seen used before with any fight with any employer.”
“I think the UAW is making history with the stand-up strike,” Henry said. “It’s a proud history because they stand on the shoulders of the Flint sit-down strikers and the GM workers that occupy a plant that created the best contracts in the county and the emerging middle class.”
A video on the UAW’s website talks about how the UAW is going back to its roots honoring the Flint sit-down strikers by doing these stand-up strikes and targeting the auto assembly plants.
“We need to look out across the economy. UPS workers and pilots just won more than 40% raises in their contracts…Workers at airports, fast foods restaurants, Hollywood and beyond are demanding more and rejecting an economy that only works for CEOS and corporations.”
