UAW strikes: A Stellantis battery plant reveal, a General Dynamic strike vote, and, maybe, progress in the Big 3 talks

UAW strike: General Dynamics workers vote to strike in 3 states

Yahoo Finance's Pras Subramnian
is here with the details.

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·Senior Reporter

Thu, October 12, 2023 at 4:02 AM GMT+9·3 min read

Here's what we have going on the labor front today.

More United Auto Workers (UAW) members indicate they’ll go on strike if needed at General Dynamics (GD). Meanwhile, GM in Canada gets a reprieve from Unifor members. And on the Stellantis (STLA) front: the company said it will expand its battery production plans in the US — a key point of issue as UAW contract talks continue.

As the current UAW strike against the Big Three (GM (GM), Ford (F), and Stellantis) enters a 27th day, more UAW members at other companies have been pushing for better terms. UAW members at Mack Trucks rejected a deal and went on strike just this week, and late Tuesday night UAW members at defense contractor General Dynamics voted to authorize a strike in case a new deal isn’t reached.

In a letter posted by UAW president Shawn Fain to General Dynamics union members, Fain said 97% of members voted to authorize a strike in case a new deal isn’t reached by the contract expiration deadline of 11:59 p.m. ET on Sunday, Oct. 22.

General Dynamics employs around 1,100 UAW members at plants located in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If these workers eventually go on strike, they will join the approximately 4,400 Mack Trucks workers striking currently who are not part of the UAW’s Big Three stand up strikes. UAW actions against the Big Three involve around 25,000 striking auto workers at the moment.

Now GM has been given something of a reprieve, however, across the border. Canada’s Unifor auto union, after going on strike for about half a day, reached a tentative deal with GM.

Unifor worker Claude Robitaille holds a sign at a picket line outside an entrance to the GM's Oshawa assembly complex, where the company’s profitable Chevrolet Silverado trucks are built, after 4,300 unionized workers went on strike at three General Motors plants, including Oshawa, Ontario, Canada October 10, 2023. REUTERS/Arlyn McAdorey

GM's Oshawa assembly complex where 4,300 unionized workers went on strike at three General Motors plants, including Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. (Arlyn McAdorey/REUTERS)

GM agreed to terms similar to those Ford reached with Unifor, with the union using the Ford deal as a “pattern agreement” for negotiations. If the deal is voted through, Unifor’s 4,300 GM workers will get 20% base hikes in pay, reactivation of COLA benefits next year, wage progression reduced by half to four years, conversion of some temps to full time, and other concessions.

Is that progress? Maybe.