On the Dash:
- GM UAW-represented workers could receive approximately $13,000 in profit sharing in 2027, based on North American adjusted earnings through September and the company’s full-year outlook.
- Ford employees could receive at least $10,500 after the automaker raised the lower end of its 2026 adjusted EBIT forecast to $10.5 billion.
- Stellantis workers may not qualify for profit sharing unless North American results improve beyond the regional profit margin of 1.2%, below the 2% contractual threshold.
GM employees represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) could receive approximately $13,000 in profit-sharing payments in 2027. This projected payout would be the second-largest in GM’s history, trailing only the record $14,500 payment in 2025.
The UAW agreement with GM provides eligible workers with $1,000 for every $1 billion in annual adjusted earnings before interest and taxes (EBIT) in North America. Individual payments may vary based on the number of compensated hours worked. As of September 2026, GM generated $10.7 billion in North American adjusted EBIT, surpassing the approximately $10.5 billion recorded for all of 2025. Notably, North America accounted for about 87% of GM’s adjusted earnings during the first nine months of the year. GM has narrowed its full-year 2026 adjusted EBIT guidance to between $14.5 billion and $15.5 billion.
Meanwhile, Ford employees could receive profit-sharing checks of at least $10,500, based on the company’s recent earnings outlook. Ford has raised the lower end of its 2026 adjusted EBIT forecast to $10.5 billion, while maintaining the upper end at $11 billion. Unlike GM’s formula, Ford’s profit-sharing calculation is based on global earnings rather than solely on North American results. The projected payment could exceed Ford’s previous record of $10,416, distributed in 2024.
However, Stellantis workers may not receive profit-sharing in 2027 unless the company’s North American financial performance improves. The region’s profit margin stood at 1.2% through the first nine months of 2026, below the 2% threshold required for payments. According to the labor agreement, eligible employees receive $900 for each percentage point of profit margin.
Wage & compensation disparities
Separately, members of UAW Local 405 at Triumph Group in West Hartford, Connecticut, voted 148-1 to authorize a strike, with 86% member participation. The vote followed two days of balloting and allows for a strike after the current contract expires at midnight on October 31. The union represents 174 employees who manufacture, machine, assemble, and provide technical work for components supporting U.S. military aircraft. The union’s demands include sector-standard wages, job security, cost-of-living protections, affordable healthcare, and no concessions.
UAW Local 405 President Benjamin Wilcox said the company presented its economic proposal only eight days before the contract expired and just hours before the strike authorization vote. According to the union, new hires at Triumph currently earn $25.25 per hour, while the average worker earns $39.34. Additionally, Triumph workers don’t receive cost-of-living adjustments, whereas production and assembly workers represented by the UAW at Rolls-Royce and GE Aerospace earn $43.70 and $43.79 per hour, respectively, with cost-of-living protections. UAW Region 9A Director Brandon Mancilla stated that Triumph earned $680 million from members’ work during the current contract period and urged the company to improve its offer. The union also highlighted that Triumph reported $687 million in profits over the five-year contract period and $31.7 million in CEO compensation.
President Wilcox indicated that the strike authorization vote aimed to show members’ dissatisfaction with the company’s proposals. The union stated that Triumph hadn’t addressed several priority demands from the bargaining committee. The current contract expires at midnight on October 31, after which the union is authorized to strike.
