2023-09-17 23:26:00
“That’s certainly not going to work,” United Auto Workers (UAW) President Sean Fein said Thursday of Stellantis’ proposed 21% pay increase. “We’ve made that very clear.” he said. Today marks the third day of a strike by workers at the three major automakers.
Fein’s comments on CBS’ “Face the Nation” suggest that there is still a wide gap between the UAW and the Big Three.
Stellantis’ chief operating officer for North America said on a conference call with reporters on Tuesday that the company’s “persuasion plan,” including a solution to the idled Jeep plant in Illinois, is a priority for the company’s union members. He said that the union had rejected the proposal.
Partial strikes at plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri began on the 15th. If the problem spreads to other factories, it could lead to huge economic losses. The UAW is expected to resume negotiations with Stellantis, Ford Motor Co., and General Motors (GM) on the 18th.
The transition to electric vehicles could reduce employment in the auto industry and put pressure on wages, but Fein said in an interview that workers should not be forced to bear an unfair burden.
President Biden and Democratic politicians across the country have expressed support for labor unions ahead of the election. Biden wants to secure the UAW’s support, but Fein is holding off on his stance, saying, “We’re looking for actions, not words.”
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