Key takeaways:
- UAW President Shawn Fain said the threats of layoffs of non-striking workers is an attempt to pressure union members to accept a less favorable contract.
- The UAW has been in negotiations with the Big Three for weeks, and the strike is expected to last until a new contract is agreed upon.
- The union represents 150,000 workers across the United States, and it is the first ever simultaneous strike of the Big Three auto manufacturers.
On Friday, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union began a simultaneous strike of Detroit’s “Big Three” auto manufacturers, General Motors, Ford, and Jeep-maker Stellantis. UAW President Shawn Fain said the threats of layoffs of non-striking workers is the Big Three’s “latest attack” to get union members to “settle for less.”
At a Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, union members gathered to picket and show their support for the strike. Cars passing by honked in approval. Ford said it had already laid off 600 workers at the facility due to the strike, and that it would be unable to provide those workers with supplemental unemployment benefits because the contract with the union had expired.
UAW President Shawn Fain said the threats of layoffs of non-striking workers is an attempt to pressure union members to accept a less favorable contract. “Let’s be clear: if the Big Three decide to lay people off who aren’t on strike, that’s them trying to put the squeeze on our members to accept a contract that isn’t in their best interests,” Fain said.
The UAW has been in negotiations with the Big Three for weeks, and the strike is expected to last until a new contract is agreed upon. The union represents 150,000 workers across the United States. It is the first ever simultaneous strike of the Big Three auto manufacturers.
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