(Editor’s Note: This story was updated with information about additional targets announced by the UAW.)
When the UAW went on strike last week, it involved some 12,700 workers and targeted three plants – one from each of the Big Three.
When a Friday deadline set by UAW President Shawn Fain failed to produce any progress the union expanded the work stoppage to involve more workers and an increased number of targets.
Fain used a Facebook Live Friday to announce the UAW is expanding its strike to 38 General Motors and Stellantis NV parts distribution centers around the U.S.
The initial 12,700 workers are striking at Ford Motor Co.’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne, General Motors Co.’s Wentzville Assembly in Missouri and Stellantis NV’s Jeep plant in Toledo.
No additional strikes against Ford Motor Co., were announced.
Ford, GM and Stellantis and the UAW appear to still be far apart on issues such as wage increases and a tiered-wage system.
The strike is starting to have ripple effects. GM laid off some 2,000 workers at its Kansas assembly plant, saying the UAW strike has caused a shortage of parts. Stellantis laid off some 370 workers at three parts factories supplying its Toledo Jeep plant.
Stellantis said in a statement that due to the UAW strike a “potential of more than 350” workers will be temporarily laid off.
“Stellantis confirms that it will immediately temporarily lay off 68 employees at the Toledo Machining Plant in Perrysburg, Ohio, due to storage constraints,” the statement read, according to a report by UPI. “All other production at this facility continues. In addition, we anticipate similar actions at Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting in Kokomo, Ind., affecting an estimated 300 employees at these two facilities.”
According to a report in The Detroit News, Ford has laid off some 600 workers at its Bronco and Ranger plant in Wayne. Detroit-based LM Manufacturing temporarily laid off about 650 workers due to the strike, the News reported.
The union is seeking a roughly 40% pay hike over the new four-year contract, restoration of an automatic cost-of-living adjustment pegged to inflation, an end to the two-tier pay system in which new hires are paid far less with fewer benefits than other UAW workers, restoration of traditional pensions and a shorter work week with no cut in pay.
