According to UAW President Shawn Fain, the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), has received complaints from the United Auto Workers accusing General Motors and Stellantis of unfair labor practices for failing to bargain with the union in good faith or on time.
Fain branded the negotiation stance of GM and Stellantis as “insulting and counterproductive” in a Facebook Live update to union members. However, GM and Stellantis expressed astonishment at the filing and denied the allegations, Reuters reports.
Gerald Johnson, the head of global manufacturing at GM, said, “We believe it has no merit and is an insult to the bargaining committees. We have been intensely focused on engaging in direct and sincere negotiations with the UAW and are moving forward.”
According to Johnson, the union has made nearly a thousand demands.
Despite not receiving the file yet, Stellantis stated it is “shocked by Mr. Fain’s claims that we have not bargained in good faith.” Additionally, Stellantis noted via email, “This is a claim with no basis in fact, and we are disappointed to learn that Mr. Fain is more focused on filing frivolous legal charges than on actual bargaining. When the time comes, we will strongly defend against this accusation, but for now, our main priority is to carry on with our sincere negotiations for a new contract. We won’t let Mr. Fain’s strategies divert us from our pressing task of securing the future of our workforce.”
The tension is the latest sign of the pressure stemming from negotiations. The union and Fain have made significant demands, including a 40% pay raise over four years and the restoration of benefits that workers gave up around the time of the Great Recession. The automakers have warned that they cannot grant the employees everything they desire and still compete with non-unionized automakers like Tesla.
The NLRB complaint does not name Ford, which claims to have given a “substantial” and “generous” contract offer with increased benefits and the most significant wage raise for UAW employees since 1999.
