Negotiations between the striking United Auto Workers and Detroit’s Big Three auto companies have made meaningful progress, according to a person with direct knowledge of the negotiations.
All three companies reported progress and exchanged some offers, the person said on Wednesday. Another person said there has been more progress in talks with Jeep maker Stellantis and less progress with Ford and General Motors. Both spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the negotiations.
Union president Sean Finn Members will be updated on the status of the conclusion of negotiations on Friday nearly three weeks of strikes Against the Corporation.
It’s unclear what Fein will announce as part of the union’s targeted strike strategy against the company, with the carmaker believed to have made progress in talks to avoid additional strike action.
But the progress report raised the possibility that the union might decide not to extend the strike against one or more companies. The union has so far limited the strike to about 25,000 workers at five auto assembly plants and 38 parts warehouses.Finn announced strike expansion The past two Fridays.
Ford said Tuesday it increased its offer to the union late Monday, but the terms the company disclosed were closer to its previous offer. The company said its seventh offer would increase overall salary increases to more than 20% over four years, with no compounding. It also said it increased its 401(k) retirement contributions and confirmed it would offer profit sharing to temporary workers. Wages for these workers will also increase from $16.67 to $21 an hour.
Ford, which had made early gains, was not affected by the second strike and its parts warehouses remained open. Stellantis received exemptions last week when the union added assembly plants at Ford in Chicago and General Motors in Lansing, Miss.
So far, unions have avoided strikes at plants for large pickup trucks and SUVs, the vehicles that generate most of the automaker’s profits.
The unions at the three companies have a total of about 146,000 members. The targeted strike strategy helped preserve the UAW’s strike fund, which stood at $825 million before the strike began on Sept. 15. General Motors and Ford have laid off more than 3,500 UAW workers at plants not participating in the strike. The workers will receive union strike pay of $500 per week.
The UAW claims these companies have made billions of dollars in profits over the past decade, Increase CEO pay, so that they can afford to increase workers’ wages. The union is seeking a 36 per cent overall wage increase over four years, as well as returns on cost-of-living increases, a 32-hour work week, 40 hours of pay and a return to traditional defined-benefit pensions for new employees. benefit.
It also wants to represent workers at the companies’ proposed joint venture of 10 electric vehicle battery factories in the United States.
However, the companies worry that rising labor costs could make their cars more expensive than those made by Tesla or foreign automakers with factories in the United States where workers are paid lower wages.
General Motors announced Wednesday that it has arranged a credit line of up to $6 billion in light of the strike. The company said it was “cautious in the face of uncertainty.” General Motors also said it expects the strike to cost the company about $200 million in production losses in the third quarter.
The union dropped unfair labor practice charges against General Motors and Stellantis that accused the companies of failing to bargain in good faith before the strike.
Svlook
