UAW Expands Strike to 38 GM and Stellantis Facilities, Praises Ford As ‘Serious’ In Negotiations

The United Auto Workers union is expanding its strike to 38 more facilities owned by General Motors and Stellantis. The facilities are located in 20 states across the U.S.

The escalation will spare Ford Motor Co. UAW President Shawn Fain praised Ford in a Fadebook live stream on Friday for showing it is “serious about reaching a deal.” The union is currently on strike at one Ford factory in Michigan.

The strike, which began Sept. 14, is the first time the UAW has staged walkouts at all three of the Big Three automakers at the same time. In the new “stand up” strike strategy, the union announces the locations of walkout just hours before they begin.

Fain said the expansion of the strike is a “response to the lack of progress with GM and Stellantis.”

“We will shut down parts distribution until those 2 companies come to their senses,” Fain said.

Auto workers at 38 @UAW @GM and @Stellantis plants are being called on to strike due to the lack of progress at the bargaining table.

"We will shut down parts distribution until those 2 companies come to their senses." pic.twitter.com/mDwWNeTxEL

— AFL-CIO ✊ (@AFLCIO) September 22, 2023

Fain said that Ford has agreed to reinstate cost of living adjustments in worker contracts, a key demand from the union that has seen its membership’s pay eroded by Bidenflation.

The strategy allows some plants to keep operating while targeting others for shutdown. It is designed to give the union more flexibility to expand or limit the strike depending on negotiations. The strategy could also allow the walkout to last longer than expected because it creates less of a demand on the union’s strike funds.

The additional factories will be subject to a walkout as of 12:00 p.m. local time, Fain said.

By expanding the strike against GM and Stellantis, the union may be hoping to gain leverage in negotiations. If Ford is able to keep up production longer than its rivals, that could allow it to capture market share if the strike stretches on for long enough to create supply shortages. GM and Stellantis could find themselves with dealers undersupplied with cars while Ford’s dealers could still have new cars on their lots.

Correction: An earlier version of this story misstated the number of states impacted by the strike expansion.