UAW chief says offers from Detroit companies are inadequate, says union is ready to go on strike

With just over 24 hours left before a strike deadline, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain says offers from Detroit automakers aren’t enough and the union is getting ready to strike

United Auto Workers Looming Strike (Copyright 2023 The Associated Press. All rights reserved)

With just over 24 hours left before a strike deadline, United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain says offers from the companies aren't enough and the union is getting ready to strike.

In an online address to members Wednesday, Fain said General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have raised their initial wage offers, but have rejected some of the union's other demands.

“We do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifices and contributions our members have made to these companies,” he said. “To win we're likely going to have to take action. We are preparing to strike these companies in a way they've never seen before.”

The union is threatening to strike after contracts with companies that haven't reached an agreement by 11:59 p.m. on Thursday. It would be the first time in the union's 80-plus-year history that it struck all three companies at the same time.

Talks continued Wednesday with the companies, but it appeared that both sides are still far apart.

Automakers contend that they need to make huge investments to develop and build electric vehicles, while still building and engineering internal combustion vehicles. They say an expensive labor agreement could saddle them with costs, forcing them to raise prices higher than non-union foreign competitors.

Fain said the final decision on which plants to strike won’t be made until Thursday night and will be announced at 10 p.m.

He said the targeted strikes will keep the companies guessing. “We will not strike all of our facilities at once" on Thursday, he said.

Initially they’ll strike at a limited number of plants, but that will grow if there’s no movement in contract talks. It's still possible that all 146,000 UAW members could walk out, he said. If the companies refuse to bargain in good faith, “we have the power to escalate and keep taking plants out,” he said.

The union, he said, still wants to reach agreements with the companies.

But it will not extend contracts, so those who stay at work will do so with an expired agreement. Fain said he understands sentiment behind an all-out strike, which is still possible. But he said the targeted-strike strategy is more flexible and effective.

If there’s no deal by the end of Thursday, union officials will not bargain on Friday and instead will join workers on picket lines.

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Koenig reported from Dallas.