UAW strike intensifies as more than 6,800 workers at Stellantis’ most profitable plant walk out

Nearly 7,000 workers have walked out of Stellantis’ most profitable plant following a major escalation of the ongoing United Auto Workers strike.

Monday’s strike halted production at Chrysler parent company’s 5 million-square-foot Sterling Heights plant in Michigan, where they make RAM 1,500 pickup trucks.

The UAW said they walked away because Stellantis has the “worst offer” on the table in terms of raises, temporary worker wages and the transition to full-time status, as well as cost-of-living adjustments.

It is a major escalation of the strike a month ago, in which more than 40,000 workers at the Big Three automakers in Detroit walked out.

There are now 45 factories on strike, with 9,375 workers at 20 General Motor factories, 14,750 at 22 Stellantis factories and 16,600 at three Ford factories.

Monday’s strike comes days after UAW President Shawn Fain said he had received a new offer from Stellantis — a 23 percent raise — but that more work needed to be done.

The UAW demands include a 40 percent increase.

Factory workers in the auto industry earn an average of $28 an hour, but top-tier workers who have been with companies the longest take home about $33 an hour. The UAW wants to end the tiered system.

President Biden supported striking workers at a picket in Michigan in September when he urged them to “stick with it” to “get the significant raise you need.”

In a video posted to X, formerly Twitter, Mr Fain was seen greeting members and handing out signs outside the Stellantis factory on Monday morning.

Mr. Fain addressed the workers: “We are where we are. They know where we need to be. We can get there.

“We can close a deal this week, but we have to get serious, the company has to get serious and get to work.

President Joe Biden supported striking workers at a picket in Michigan in September as he urged them to “stick with it” to get “the significant raise you need.”

Workers walked out of the Stellantis plant Monday morning in a massive escalation of the ongoing UAW (credit card) strikes. WXYZ)

RAM trucks are manufactured at the Sterling Heights plant, where production is halted due to strikes

‘We don’t want our members here. We want to get our members off the picket lines and back to work building the best product in America, but we want our fair share.”

Sterling Heights Assembly is a major profit center for Stellantis. Here they produce the best-selling vehicle in the country: RAM trucks.

UAW went on strike at one assembly plant from each company on September 15, but that quickly expanded as they failed to reach an agreement.

The strikes, which could last for weeks and grow into thousands of additional staff, have already cost a lot of money the American economy According to analysts, that is $7.7 billion.

UAW is using a new tactic to strike by slowly increasing the number of workers walking out, instead of calling an all-out strike.

Fain said Friday that while Detroit automakers have increased their pay and benefits offers, he believes the union can get more out of it if it holds out longer in contract talks.

A spokesperson for Stellantis said: “We are outraged that the UAW has chosen to expand its strike action against Stellantis.

“Last Thursday morning, Stellantis presented a new, improved offer to the UAW, including 23% pay increases over the life of the contract, a nearly 50% increase in our retirement savings plan contributions and additional job security for our employees. .

“After several conversations that appeared to be productive, we left the negotiating table expecting a counter-proposal, but we have been waiting for it ever since.

“Our very strong offering would meet member demands and deliver immediate financial benefits to our employees. Instead, the UAW has decided to inflict further damage on the entire auto industry and on our local, state and national economies.

“The UAW’s continued disturbing strategy to ‘wound’ all the Detroit 3 will have long-lasting consequences. With every strike decision, the UAW sacrifices domestic market share to non-union competition.

These actions not only reduce our market share, but also impact our profitability and therefore our ability to compete, invest and maintain the record profit sharing payments our employees have enjoyed over the past two years.”