“At noon Eastern today, all parts distribution centers at General Motors and Stellantis will be on strike,” UAW President Shawn Fain said on Friday. “We will shut down parts distribution until those two companies come to their senses and come to the table with a serious offer.”
Fain explained that no facilities owned by Ford, the third company whose factory workers were on strike, were joining the strike at this time because the company had yielded considerably in its negotiations with the labor union.
“We do want to recognize that Ford is serious about reaching a deal,” he said. “Stellantis and GM in particular are going to need some serious pushing.”
When contract negotiations collapsed and the auto workers went on strike a week ago, just three facilities were shut down by the walkout: a GM facility in Wentzville, Missouri; a Stellantis facility in Toledo, Ohio; and a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan. It involved about 12,700 of the UAW’s 145,000 members.
Now, the strike has spread to 38 more facilities across 20 states and their ranks have swelled to over 18,300 striking workers.
The union is demanding the rescinding of many concessions made to the automakers during the 2007-2008 financial crash, when they received bailouts from the federal government. They are seeking a 36% wage increase over four years and the elimination of a tiered wage system, along with more paid time off and other benefits.
The struck companies have fired back, calling the strike “unnecessary” and accusing the UAW of “pursuing their own political agendas” by expanding the strike. Some commentators have accused the union of striking to sabotage the reputation of US President Joe Biden.
The union has signaled Biden is welcome to visit the picket line and show his support for the workers, but were reportedly dismayed when the president attempted to send two aides to serve as negotiators instead. The aides were rebuffed, and the White House was told to send Biden or nobody.
Twice on Friday, Biden answered reporters at the White House asking him if he would meet with the strikers by asking them “will you come with me?” Afterward, his official social media account said that on Tuesday of next week he would “go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW.”
The UAW strike has come amid ongoing monthslong strikes by SAG-AFTRA and the WGA, representing Hollywood actors and writers, respectively. The United Parcel Service (UPS) narrowly avoided the nation’s largest-ever, single-employer strike in August when it reached a last-minute deal with the International Brotherhood of Teamsters.
The delivery workers similarly demanded an end to a tiered wage system they said was unfair. Labor activists and their supporters have dubbed the strike wave “Hot Labor Summer.”