United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain called on all parts distribution centers for General Motors and Stellantis to go on strike as a deal has not been reached with any of the Big Three automakers.
Those workers officially started picketing at 12 p.m. EDT Friday.
In all, Fain said 38 locations across 20 states in all nine regions of the UAW will go on strike, and the three plants that are already on strike will remain on strike.
Those locations are:
Stellantis
- Marysville (MI)
- Centerline Packaging (MI)
- Centerline Warehouse (MI)
- Sherwood (MI)
- Warren Parts (MI)
- QEC (MI)
- Romulus (MI)
- Cleveland (OH)
- Milwaukee (WI)
- Minneapolis (MN)
- Denver (CO)
- Chicago (IL)
- Los Angeles (CA)
- Portland (OR)
- Atlanta (GA)
- Winchester (VA)
- Orlando (FL)
- Dallas (TX)
- Boston (MA)
- New York (NY)
General Motors
- Pontiac Redistribution (MI)
- Willow Run Redistribution (MI)
- Ypsilanti Processing Center (MI)
- Davidson Rd Processing Center (MI)
- Flint Processing Center (MI)
- Lansing Redistribution (MI)
- Cincinnati Parts Distribution (OH)
- Denver Parts Distribution (CO)
- Hudson Parts Distribution (WI)
- Chicago Parts Distribution (IL)
- Reno Parts Distribution Center (NV)
- Rancho Cucamonga Parts Distribution (CA)
- Fort Worth Parts Distribution (TX)
- Martinsburg Parts Distribution (WV)
- Jackson Parts Distribution (MS)
- Charlotte Parts Distribution (NC)
- Memphis AC Delco Parts Distribution (TN)
- Philadelphia Parts Distribution (PA)
Fain said there has been a lot of movement with Ford, and there have been no additional Ford plants called to strike, Fain said.
Those negotiations, Fain said, include Ford workers winning the right to strike over plant closures, higher cost-of-living adjustments, on pay and on tiers.
General Motors released a statement around 1:30 p.m. EDT It reads:
“Today’s strike escalation by the UAW’s top leadership is unnecessary. The decision to strike an additional 18 of our facilities, affecting more than 3,000 team members plus their families and communities, adds validity to the blueprint identified in last night’s leaked texts -- that the UAW leadership is manipulating the bargaining process for their own personal agendas.
We have contingency plans for various scenarios and are prepared to do what is best for our business, our customers, and our dealers.
We have now presented five separate economic proposals that are historic, addressing areas that our team members have said matters most: wage increases and job security while allowing GM to succeed and thrive into the future. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
Fain explained the “Stand Up Strike” effort ahead of the first deadline on Sept. 14. It includes striking the Big Three – General Motors, Stellantis and Ford -- but at a limited number of targeted locations. Based on how the bargaining is going, Fain said they would announce more locals to stand up and strike. He said the locals that aren't called to strike would maintain "a constant strike readiness" as they work under an expired agreement.
The first targets that started the strike at midnight on Sept. 15 were:
- GM Wentzville Assembly, Local 2250 (Missouri)
- Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex, Local 12 (Ohio)
- Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, final assembly and paint only, Local 900 (Michigan)
Those plants make some of the automakers' best-selling vehicles, including the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado.
Latest offers from some of the automakers have come this week. The UAW wants double-digit pay increases, the end of the tiered wage system, better healthcare, a 32-hour work week and more.
Ahead of the initial strike deadline, the UAW had $825 million in its strike fund, enough to pay 150,000 UAW members $500 a week for 11 weeks.
In most cases, workers on strike are not eligible for unemployment benefits. Members who find other work during the strike won't get strike pay if making more than $500 a week. Strike benefits do cover health care, but do not cover vision, hearing, dental, sick or accident benefits.
This week, Unifor, the union representing Canadian auto workers, said they have reached an agreement in their negotiations with Ford Motor Company. The union and automaker reached the agreement hours before the midnight deadline, which had already been extended Monday.
The UAW also went on strike against GM in 2019 after failing to reach a tentative contract agreement. That strike lasted from Sept. 15 through Oct. 25 after an agreement was reached on Oct. 16 but ratified nine days later.
