Mere hours before the United Auto Workers’ contract deadline midnight on Thursday, General Motors increased its wage offer to 20% from 18%. Though, it wasn’t enough to placate UAW chief Shawn Fain, who has publicly lambasted every proposal from the Detroit-Three up to this point.
By 7:30 p.m., the strike grew all but certain. Ford’s latest proposal increased wages to 20% as well, but was quickly rebuked. However speaking to CNBC late Thursday, CEO Jim Farley didn’t hold back his concerns, stating, “You want us to choose bankruptcy over supporting our workers.”
It wasn’t until 8:00 p.m. that the UAW presented its first counterproposal to Ford.” In a statement from the automaker, the counterproposal showed “little movement” from the union’s original demands.
These demands include:
- 36% wage increase over four years
- End to the tiered employment system
- Rely less on temporary workers
- Regain benefits lost in 2008 negotiations
- Right to strike over proposed plant closures
- 32-hour work with full-time compensation
At 10:00 p.m., over 40,000 viewers watched Fain on Facebook live as he laid out the preliminary strike strategy.
“Tonight for the first time in our history we will strike all three of the Big 3, at once,” said Fain. “We are using a new strategy, the stand up strike. We will call on select facilities, locals, or units to stand up and go on strike.”
Those select facilities are:
- GM Wentzville Local 2250 in Region 4
- Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex Local 12 Region 2B
- Ford Michigan Assembly Plant Local 900 Region 1A (Final Assembly and Paint only)
Fain continued to call union members to action, “We must show the world that our fight is a righteous fight.”
Stay tuned to CBT News for more strike coverage.
