UAW Initiates Strike Against Major U.S. Automakers Early on Friday morning

The United Auto Workers (UAW) failed to reach a contract agreement with these car manufacturers before the union’s set deadline, which was Thursday at 11:59 p.m. Eastern Time. Less than two hours before this deadline, UAW President Shawn Fain announced the specific plants where union members would strike if a tentative agreement was not reached in time. As of midnight on Friday, approximately 12,700 union workers, including those at GM in Wentzville, Missouri; Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio; and Ford’s Wayne, Michigan plant, had joined the strike a union representing nearly 150,000 autoworkers initiated a strike against the three major U.S. automakers: General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.

This strike follows a unique “stand-up” strategy, where not all union members strike simultaneously.

Shortly after the strike was declared, Fain sent a message to the UAW’s email list, stating, “A few minutes ago, thousands of UAW members at Ford, GM, and Stellantis walked out, marking the beginning of the Stand Up Strike.”

As the strike commenced, a spokesperson from Stellantis released a statement expressing the company’s disappointment in failing to reach an agreement. The statement read, “We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership’s refusal to engage responsibly in reaching a fair agreement for the benefit of our employees, their families, and our customers. We have immediately activated contingency plans and will take all necessary measures to protect our North American operations and the company.”

Earlier on Thursday, the UAW and the automakers remained far apart on critical issues, including wage increases and the duration of the workweek. The union had demanded a 46% pay increase over the four-year term of a new contract, along with a 32-hour workweek at 40-hour pay.”