According to UAW Local 1005 President Dan Schwartz, General Motors has laid off 130 union employees at the Parma Metal Center in Parma, Ohio.
A statement from GM claims that 34 union employees at the Marion Metal Center in Marion, Indiana, have also been let go. These layoffs coincide with a UAW strike that is intensifying at plants in other states.
GM’s statement also declares, “The decision by the UAW leadership to announce a strike at the GM Wentzville Assembly and now the GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly continues to have detrimental impacts. On October 2, a section of the two metal centers won’t have any work available, and the affected team members aren’t expected to return until the strike ends.”
The statement continues, “There are no provisions for company-provided SUB-pay since we are employed under an expiring labor agreement. We’ve stated time and time again that nobody gains in a strike, and this is just more proof of that. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to settle quickly.”
The strike began in the middle of September at three assembly plants: a Ford factory near Detroit, a GM facility north of St. Louis, and a Stellantis-owned Jeep facility in Toledo. Then, on September 22, it grew to include 38 GM and Stellantis-owned distribution centers.
The UAW has implemented a new targeted strike strategy that picks critical plants for each automaker to strike and announces those decisions just hours before the strike begins.
The demands of unionized workers include:
- Cost-of-living adjustments.
- Salary increases.
- The restoration of retiree health benefits.
- An end to the tiers that cause disparities in compensation among UAW members.
According to Schwartz, “The workers and I are unhappy and claim that the negotiation process has not been simple. The workers presented their demands to General Motors ten weeks ago.” He asserts, “We’re fighting for social and economic justice. These executives are making hand over fist, and we want what’s fair. We’re not greedy but want what we deserve.”
