« We’re done playing defense, we’re going on the offensive. » Here is a shocking announcement from Shawn Fain, the leader of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, made Friday, during his weekly update on the negotiations relating to the next collective agreements with the three major American manufacturers called “ les Big Three » : Ford, General Motors et Stellantis.« Today, I am not announcing any additional work stoppages. Instead, I announce a new phase in the strike “, he added.
Since the launch of the strike on September 15, the union has announced every Friday the extension or not of the work stoppages depending on the progress of the negotiations. But ” groups began waiting until Friday to make significant progress in negotiations », accuse Shawn Fain.
In response, ” from now on, we will mobilize factories when we need them, where we need them and with very short notice “, launched Shawn Fain, accusing the three groups of “ drag things out ».
« They thought they had deciphered the rules of the game. So we change the rules “, he added.
34,000 strikers and dozens of sites impacted
As a reminder, with the aim of obtaining wage increases in the face of inflation which has eroded the purchasing power of many Americans, nearly 34,000 employees of the three manufacturers are mobilized, out of their 146,000 employees employed by the UAW. . Six assembly plants and 38 distribution sites are affected, in 22 states, according to the union.
The union created a surprise this week by calling its 8,700 members on strike on Wednesday at the Kentucky Truck Plant (KTP), Ford’s largest factory which generates $25 billion in turnover per year.
Shawn Fain assured his members that the union was “ in a very very strong position » and that he had already obtained salary increases greater than those granted over the past fifteen years.
Progress at Stellantis
If the dispute is burning between the automobile groups and the strikers, some are more advanced than others in the negotiations.
Thus, Stellantis (Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, etc.) affirmed in a press release that it was working with the UAW to “ bridging gaps on topics that will bring immediate financial gains and job security while providing a bridge for the group’s future ».
« We made progress this week “, affirmed the group, hoping for a “ agreement as soon as possible so that everyone returns to work ».
On this subject, he announced the temporary layoff of 700 additional employees working for two Indiana factories whose activity depends directly on striking sites, bringing the total to more than 1,300 people. Ford and General Motors have announced similar measures.
Ford accused of dragging out negotiations
Speaking of Ford, the American manufacturer is precisely the target of criticism from the UAW this week. According to Shawn Fain, Ford submitted exactly the same offer on Wednesday afternoon as two weeks earlier, “ without extra money “. Leaving the meeting, “ we didn’t wait a minute (…) and I called myself to tell (KTP) to walk off the job ».
Kumar Galhotra, a senior Ford executive, expressed the group’s surprise on Thursday at the decision, saying Ford was negotiating ” in good faith » and had sent an offer “ incredibly positive » which would put Ford staff among the top 25% of jobs in the United States in terms of hourly wages and benefits. “ We have demonstrated that we want to achieve a record contract ensuring a solid future for our employees “, he said.
« But we have reached the limit, going further would endanger our ability to invest » for the future of the group, the manager finally announced.
The strikes are therefore unlikely to end any time soon.
(With AFP)
2023-10-14 13:08:00
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