The auto industry, which has fully recovered from the pandemic crisis, could now be seriously affected by the strike by workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.
For several days now, more than 10,000 workers at three assembly plants in the USA have been on strike against the major unionized automobile manufacturers General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.
Undoubtedly, this is something unprecedented, since for the first time in the history of the United States there is a strike in the automobile industry, with workers from three manufacturers striking at the same time.
This strike, which took place after the three manufacturers failed to meet the union’s demands, was referred to by the union itself as a “Stand Up”.
The reasons for the strike
According to the definition of the union itself, this strike consists of declaring a few local work stoppages and adding more and more, which provides the greatest possible influence and flexibility in the fight for a fair contract at each of the three major automakers.
The strike call itself comes as workers at General Motors, Ford and Stellantis demand to regain profits lost more than a decade ago, when the companies lacked liquidity and were on the verge of bankruptcy.
According to the union, Ford, GM and Stellantis have collectively made a quarter of a million dollars in profits in North America over the past decade. But the workers never got their fair share.
Therefore, the union has rejected double-digit wage increases, intending to implement its ambitious demands on wages, benefits and employment protection in a context where the Big Three manufacturers have made huge profits.
The plants are on strike, for now
This strike, initiated by the United Auto Workers (UAW), was supported by General Motors assembly plants in Wentzville, Missouri, with 3,600 workers, Ford in Warren, Michigan, with 3,300 workers, and Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. . , with 5,800 workers.
Despite the high number of striking workers, up to 145,000 union members were expected to join the strike in the days leading up to the strike.
