The labor strike by automotive industry workers in the United States continues to grow, with more than 25,000 workers now participating. The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is leading the strike to secure better wages and fairer collective bargaining agreements. On Friday, an additional 7,000 members joined the protests, and two more assembly plants, one belonging to Ford and the other to General Motors (GM), were halted.
The newly added facilities are Ford’s assembly plant in Chicago and GM’s plant in Lansing Delta Township, Michigan. Workers from the automaker Stellantis did not join this time, as UAW President Shawn Fain stated that the company had presented an economic offer that could be seen as a significant step forward in meeting their demands.
Stellantis, in a statement, mentioned, “We have made progress in our discussions, but there are still differences. We are committed to continuing negotiations on these issues quickly to reach a fair and responsible agreement that allows everyone to return to work as soon as possible.”
However, Fain noted that Ford and GM had not shown the same willingness to negotiate. He expressed this during a live stream on social media, saying, “Unfortunately, despite our willingness to negotiate, Ford and GM have refused to make substantial progress in negotiations. That’s why, starting at 12:00, we will expand the strike to these two companies.”
The labor strike, which began on September 15, now involves over 25,000 workers. The demands for competitive and fair wages primarily target Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis.
Currently, 43 plants across 21 states are affected by the strike, and it’s possible that more dissatisfied workers may join. Shawn Fain, the president of UAW, leads the workers, representing a significant portion of laborers across different states in the country.
Jim Farley, CEO of Ford, has expressed his disagreement with this protest action. He made his stance clear in press conferences, stating, “It is irresponsible to escalate these strikes and harm thousands of families. I believe we could have reached a compromise on wages and benefits, but for now, UAW is holding the agreement hostage by focusing only on the battery plants.” He also accused the union of seeking to create industrial chaos.
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