The United Auto Workers听蝉迟谤颈办别听补驳补颈苍蝉迟听the听顿别迟谤辞颈迟听罢丑谤别别听补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听entered its听迟丑颈谤诲听诲补测听on Sun诲补测听with no immediate resolution on the horizon.
Union negotiators and representatives of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis聽were set to resume talks starting Sunday, following the start of the most ambitious US industrial labor action in decades. This is the first time the听鲍础奥听has gone on听蝉迟谤颈办别听补驳补颈苍蝉迟听all听迟丑谤别别听补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听simultaneously.
The coordinated听蝉迟谤颈办别听comes at a time when Americans’ approval of labor unions is at its highest point in decades even as membership in unions remains largely unchanged.
鲍础奥听President Shawn Fain told MSNBC on Sun诲补测听that progress in the talks has been slow. The听鲍础奥听resumed talks聽with GM on Sunday, and聽will do so with Stellantis聽and Ford on Monday.
鈥淚 don’t really want to say we’re closer,鈥 he said. 鈥淚t’s a shame that the companies didn’t take our advice and get down to business from the beginning of bargaining back in mid-July.鈥
Asked in a subsequent appearance on CBS Face the Nation whether workers would walk out at more plants this week, Fain said the union was “prepared to do whatever we have to do.”
About 12,700听鲍础奥听workers remain on听蝉迟谤颈办别听as part of a聽听迟补谤驳别迟颈苍驳听迟丑谤别别听US assembly plants – one at each of the听顿别迟谤辞颈迟听罢丑谤别别听补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听after the prior four-year labor agreements expired at 11:59 p.m. ET on Thursday.
Negotiators for the听鲍础奥听and Ford had “reasonably productive discussions” toward a new contract on Saturday, the union said, while Chrysler-parent Stellantis said it hiked its offer, proposing raises of 20% over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10% hike. That matched proposals from GM and Ford.
The proposals are about half the 40% wage hike the听鲍础奥听is demanding through 2027, including an immediate 20% boost.
US President Joe Biden, who has signaled support for the union’s efforts, has had acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and advisor Gene Sperling speaking to the听鲍础奥听and the聽补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听during the talks.
An administration official said on Sun诲补测听that Biden believes new agreements with the聽补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听should ensure that auto jobs going forward are good middle class jobs.
Mark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer for Stellantis, told reporters Satur诲补测听the听鲍础奥听rejected a proposal to resume operations at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, noting its offer had been contingent on reaching agreement before the contract expiration.
In late February, Stellantis indefinitely idled operations at the Belvidere plant,聽听辫谤辞诲耻肠迟颈辞苍.
The听鲍础奥听criticized the company position on the Illinois plant saying now “they are now taking it back. That鈥檚 how they see these workers. A bargaining chip.”
Stellantis said late Satur诲补测听it is willing to negotiate about the plant’s future. “The truth is听鲍础奥听leadership ignored Belvidere in favor of a听蝉迟谤颈办别,” the company said.
The听蝉迟谤颈办别s have halted production at听迟丑谤别别听plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri that produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, along with other popular models. GM has been聽聽its new EVs and a prolonged听鲍础奥听蝉迟谤颈办别听could hurt those efforts even if it has a chance of helping in the short term, analysts said.
Evercore ISI analyst Chris McNally said in a Sun诲补测听research note he expects plants that build more profitable pickup trucks like Ford’s F-150, GM’s Chevrolet Silverado and Stellantis’ Ram to be the next听蝉迟谤颈办别听targets if the walkout continues.
On Friday, Ford said it was indefinitely laying off 600 workers at a Michigan plant because of the impact of the听蝉迟谤颈办别听at the facility, which makes the Bronco, and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down Mon诲补测听or Tues诲补测听due to a lack of parts stemming from the听蝉迟谤颈办别听at a GM Missouri plant.
Besides higher wages, the听鲍础奥听is demanding shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions and stronger job security as聽补耻迟辞尘补办别谤蝉听make the EV shift. – Reuters
