UAW chief: Union will strike if deal not reached

DETROIT — The head of the United Auto Workers warned Wednesday that the union plans to go on strike against any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached a new agree- ment by the time contracts expire next week.

“That’s the plan,” Presi- dent Shawn Fain responded when asked if the union would strike any of the com- panies that haven’t reached a tentative deal by the time their national contracts end.

A strike against all three major automakers — Gen- eral Motors, Stellantis and Ford — could cause damage not only to the industry as a whole but also to the Mid- west economy. A prolonged strike could lead eventually to higher vehicle prices.

In an interview with The Associated Press, Fain left open the possibility of avoid- ing a strike. He acknowl- edged, more explicitly than he has before, that the union will have to give up some of its demands to reach agree- union representation of ments. Contracts with the workers at new battery three companies will all plants and a restoration of expire at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14. traditional pensions. Top

“There’s a lot of back and scale UAW assembly plant forth in bargaining,” he said, workers make about $32 “and naturally, when you go an hour, plus annual profit into bargaining, you don’t sharing checks. always get everything you In his remarks to the AP, demand. Our workers have Fain argued that worker high expectations. We made pay isn’t what has driven up a lot of sacrifices going back vehicle prices. The average to the economic recession.” price of a new car has leaped

In the interview, Fain to more than $48,000 on did report some progress average, in part because of in the negotiations, saying still-scarce supplies resultthe union will meet today ing from a global shortage with GM to hear the compa- of computer chips. ny’s response to the UAW’s “In the last four years, the economic demands. In addi- price of vehicles went up tion, discussions are under 30%,” he said. “Our wages way with Ford on wages and went up 6%. There were benefits. Stellantis, formerly billions of dollars in shareFiat Chrysler, has yet to make holder dividends. So our a counteroffer on wage and wages aren’t the problem.” benefit demands, he said. While saying a strike by up

Stellantis declined to com- to 146,000 members against ment Wednesday. all three major automakers

The union’s demands is a real possibility, Fain said include 46% across-the- the union doesn’t want to board pay raises, a 32-hour strike and would prefer to week with 40 hours of pay, reach new contracts with restoration of traditional them. pensions for new hires,