In the third week of the UAW’s strike at Ford, GM, and Stellantis, public exchanges are heating up while more layoffs hit the industry.
The ripple effects of the UAW’s unprecedented strike at Ford, GM, and Stellantis are getting wider as the work stoppages stretch through a third week.
Since the latest round of plant walk-outs in Chicago and Lansing, Michigan on Friday, public exchanges between automotive CEOs and union leadership have reached a boiling point. Meanwhile, employees not on strike at both the Detroit car companies and their suppliers are being hit with temporary layoffs in response to the lack of production.
The UAW has been slowly expanding its strike at targeted factories since union president Shawn Fain said the companies failed to provide acceptable contract offers prior to a September 14th deadline. It’s the first time in history that the UAW has gone on strike at all three Detroit companies at the same time, in a strategy that has changed the way bargaining works in the auto industry.
As the strike drags on, the impact to the Detroit companies’ business models only increases and rivals like Tesla could benefit, analysts have said. Meanwhile, public sentiment is on the UAW’s side, with both Democrats and Republicans voicing support for the union’s demands of 40% raises and an end to their tiered wage system.
