The union is expanding its strike against two of the « Big Three » automakers and will go nationwide.
The United Automobile Workers (UAW) union said on Friday that it is expanding its strike against two of the so-called « Big Three » automakers in the United States, an escalation that could hurt the economy and send costs of cars higher, with the union’s president calling on President Joe Biden to join the picket lines.
Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, said in a Facebook Live address to members that negotiations with Ford, the other company that workers are on strike against, have progressed and will be spared the expansion.
About 5,600 UAW members in 38 locations across 20 states at General Motors (GM) and Stellantis will join the 13,000 colleagues who walked out of their jobs last Friday—the first time in history that they are striking against all three companies simultaneously. They downed their tools over demands that include wage increases, cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) for salaries to match with inflation and profit-sharing plans.
Fain also called on President Joe Biden to join the union on the picket line to support the strike. « We invite and encourage everyone who supports our cause to join us on the picket line. From our friends and family, all the way up to the president of the United States. We invite you to join us in our fight, » he said in his address Friday.
Fain added that Ford agreed to reinstate cost-of-living allowances suspended in 2019 and remove wage tiers between workers.
