Current:Home > MyThe UAW unveils major plan if talks with Big 3 automakers fail: The 'stand up strike' -Wealth Momentum Network
The UAW unveils major plan if talks with Big 3 automakers fail: The 'stand up strike'
Benjamin Ashford View
Date:2025-04-07 20:38:52
United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain has a big plan in case the Big Three automakers fail to agree on a new contract by the looming deadline: He calls it the "stand up strike."
Under the plan disclosed by Fain on Facebook Live on Wednesday, UAW union members would be instructed to strike suddenly at strategic, targeted auto plants — and additional locations would follow at a moment's notice, unless the automakers agree to new contracts before the current ones expire just before midnight on Thursday.
A gradual escalation of the strikes across the three companies, Fain said, would keep Stellantis, Ford and GM on their toes about how their operations would be disrupted, giving the union more leverage.
Only workers at a specific set of plants – to be announced Thursday evening – would walk off the job initially, while all others would keep working under expired contracts.
"It's going to keep (the companies) guessing on what might happen next, and it's going to turbocharge the power of our negotiators to be as effective as possible," Fain said.
The strategy hearkens back to sit down strikes of the 1930s, when GM workers physically occupied plants in protest of economic inequality.
"We're living in a time of stunning inequality throughout our society," Fain said. "We're living in a time where our industry is undergoing massive transformations, and we're living in a time where our labor movement is redefining itself."
Far apart
Fain disclosed the strike plans as he told UAW union members that they still stand far apart in contract negotiations with the Big 3.
Ford, General Motors and Stellantis have all raised their pay raise proposals since their opening bids – but to no more than 20%, just half of the union's 40% ask, Fain said.
The companies have also rejected the union's pension and retiree healthcare proposals, according to Fain. Other economic issues, including cost of living adjustments and profit sharing, remain points of contention.
"We do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifice and contributions our members have made to these companies," Fain told union members. "To win, we'll likely have to take action."
Deadline looms
A targeted strike plan has not traditionally been in the UAW's playbook. Historically, UAW strikes have involved all union members at a single company walking off the job at once.
Fain did not entirely rule out a coordinated strike across all plants, but he said the new "stand up strike" offers the union "maximum flexibility."
In a statement responding to UAW's strike preparations, Ford CEO Jim Farley said the automaker has put forth four "increasingly generous" offers. Ford remains "ready to reach a deal," Farley said.
"The future of our industry is at stake," Farley said. "Let's do everything we can to avert a disastrous outcome."
Fain said he, along with other top UAW leaders and Sen. Bernie Sanders, will attend a rally in Detroit on Friday, regardless of how negotiations pan out over the next 24 hours.
"I want you to be ready to stand up against corporate greed," Fain told UAW members on Wednesday. "So let's stand up and make history together."
veryGood! (85)
Related
- Off the Grid: Sally breaks down USA TODAY's daily crossword puzzle, Hi Hi!
- Billy Miller, The Young and the Restless actor, dies at 43
- Dangerous inmate escapes custody while getting treatment at hospital in St. Louis
- 'The Continental from the World of John Wick' review: 1970s prequel is a killer misfire
- 'We're reborn!' Gazans express joy at returning home to north
- Supreme Court to decide whether Alabama can postpone drawing new congressional districts
- Search for murder suspect mistakenly freed from jail expands to more cities
- Moose headbutts stomps woman, dog, marking 4th moose attack on Colorado hiker this year
- Meta donates $1 million to Trump’s inauguration fund
- Who are Rupert Murdoch’s children? What to know about the media magnate’s successor and family
Ranking
- Who's hosting 'Saturday Night Live' tonight? Musical guest, how to watch Dec. 14 episode
- EU calls on Bosnian Serb parliament to reject draft law that brands NGOs as ‘foreign agents’
- UAW strike puts spotlight on pay gap between CEOs and workers
- 2 young children die after Amish buggy struck by pickup truck in upstate New York
- Romantasy reigns on spicy BookTok: Recommendations from the internet’s favorite genre
- Tim McGraw's Birthday Tribute to Best Friend Faith Hill Will Warm Your Heart
- Lionel Messi leaves with fatigue, Inter Miami routs Toronto FC to keep playoff hopes alive
- Alex Murdaugh pleads guilty to 22 federal charges for financial fraud and money laundering
Recommendation
Retirement planning: 3 crucial moves everyone should make before 2025
As Ozempic use grows, so do reports of possible mental health side effects
A suspected serial killer pleads guilty in Rwanda to killing 14 people
Senate confirms new army chief as one senator’s objection holds up other military nominations
Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
Syria protests gain steam, challenging Bashar Assad as he tries to put the civil war behind him
'I'm not a dirty player': Steelers S Minkah Fitzpatrick opens up about Nick Chubb hit
FEMA funding could halt to communities in need as government shutdown looms: We can't mess around with this