UAW president asks union members to be ready to strike
The president of the UAW stated that he is disregarding the proposed contracts and advised the approximately 12,000 Ford workers within the vicinity to prepare for the potential of not having to go to work.
The UAW and three top car manufacturers have a mere six days to come to an agreement in order to prevent a strike. If a strike does occur, it may result in a staggering 146,000 worker layoffs, damaging the economy.
Last Friday, Shawn Fain, who is the president of UAW, provided an unwavering update on their requests through a 20-minute online video without expressing any regret.
According to Fain, the top three automakers - Ford, GM, and Stellantis - have all responded to the demands made by the UAW.
To figure out Fain's opinion on the proposals, all you have to do is take a glance at the video. You'll see a garbage bin with "Big Three Proposals" written on it situated behind Fain.
He stated that they store the proposals in the appropriate locker at the rear and continue to add to it until they are ready to take them seriously.
As we approach the deadline of September 14th, the discussions between UAW and Ford, GM, and Stellantis are becoming more intense.
"If a deal has not been reached with any of the major three automobile companies by 11:59 pm on Thursday, a strike will occur at all three companies, if deemed necessary," stated Fain.
There are 12,000 individuals who work for Ford in the region, and several have already begun to engage in the act of picketing.
Repeatedly, Fain expressed last month during a protest rehearsal that the mentioned enterprises acquired an amount of 250 billion dollars in profits within the past decade. Additionally, they gained 21 billion dollars in the initial half of the current year. If they wish to, these organizations could supply a lot to their members, yet the question remains whether they have the intention to do so.
During the update provided to members of the Union on Friday, Fain discussed the requests made and the replies given by the three top parties involved for each demand.
The requests include different categories such as levels, salaries, inflation compensation, profit distribution, part-time employees, employment stability, balance between work and life, and people who have retired.
Ford has suggested increasing salaries by 9% throughout the course of four years, with additional payments to account for inflation. On the other hand, GM has offered a higher increase of 10% in wages combined with lump sum payments.
Stellantis proposed a new contract that extends for four years and includes salary hikes for each year, amounting to a total increase of 14.5%, along with one-time payments.
Fain and UAW didn't receive satisfactory responses to their demands, as many were either insufficient or completely declined.
According to Fain, these companies believe that this is the amount of value that you have. They discuss this with bargaining committees behind closed doors. Then they appear on television and talk about how they treat their employees like family. Fain questions whether this is how they would treat their own families. Would they wish their loved ones good luck living paycheck to paycheck while keeping their own annual earnings of $29 million? Would they ask their family to work tirelessly for seven days a week, for 90 days in a row, so they can purchase a second home in Mexico? Fain says that this is not how he treats his family.
WAVE News contacted Ford to inquire about this fresh update. A representative from the company issued this response:
Ford takes great pride in manufacturing a larger number of vehicles within the United States of America whilst providing employment to more hourly workers represented by the United Automobile Workers (UAW) union than any other automaker.
Our dedication lies in providing chances for all UAW employees to establish a successful profession, and attain a position as a full-time, permanent staff member at Ford, where they can receive decent middle-class pay and perks.
We are still having discussions with the UAW while also improving our prior accomplishments in coming up with innovative solutions. This is especially important because the industry is undergoing significant changes that require a competent and competitive labor force.
The ownership of all rights in the year 2023 belongs to the entity known as WAVE. Unauthorized use or reproduction of any materials related to WAVE is prohibited.
