Members of the United Auto Workers union picket the General Motors Lansing Delta plant on September 29, 2023 in Delta Township, Michigan.
Rebecca Cook | Reuters
DETROIT – United Auto Workers union expands strike General Motors The union said Tuesday that the plant will be moved to a lucrative full-size SUV plant in Texas.
The escalating strike includes about 5,000 workers at GM’s Arlington Assembly Plant, which makes the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade ESV, GMC Yukon and Yukon XL, and Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban SUVs.
The strike came just hours after the automaker reported third-quarter profit results that topped Wall Street expectations. The automaker revealed in its quarterly update that the UAW strike had cost it $800 million in production losses, including $200 million in the third quarter.
“Another record quarter, another record year. As we’ve been saying for months: record profits equals record contracts,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement. “It’s time for GM workers and the entire working class to get their fair share.”
Fein claimed the automaker’s record results were in reference to record third-quarter revenue, according to the union. General Motors reported a drop in profit for the quarter.
General Motors said in a statement that it was “disappointed by this unnecessary and irresponsible escalation of the strike.”
“This is hurting our team members, who are sacrificing their livelihoods, and has a negative ripple effect on our dealers, suppliers and the communities that rely on us,” the company said, later adding, “It’s time we complete this process ”
The union had earlier threatened the Arlington plant.
On Oct. 6, Fain said the UAW planned to strike at the plant until General Motors made a last-minute offer to include workers at the company’s joint venture battery plant in the company’s master agreement.
However, progress appears to have stalled since then: Fein told reporters on Monday that talks about the battery factory were “on the rocks” but declined to elaborate on how the discussions were progressing.
GM Chief Executive Mary Barra said on the company’s third-quarter investor call on Tuesday that discussions about including battery plant workers “in the scope of the national agreement” were ongoing, but said the focus was now is to provide services to workers at the joint venture Ultium to negotiate their own agreement with the union.
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