LIVONIA, Mich. (NewsNation) — Nearly 150,000 members of the United Auto Workers union are voting on whether to authorize their leaders to call strikes against Detroit automakers.
Strike authorization votes are a customary step before contracts like this reach their expiration. However, the tension surrounding this year’s negotiations between UAW and ‘Big Three’ Detroit automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — has elevated compared to previous years.
The results of the vote will be revealed Thursday. The outcome could entail significantly increased wages and enhanced benefits for workers or result in a massive strike that has the potential to incur billions in costs.
Sara Schambers, a fourth-generation Ford employee, shared her struggles of making ends meet as a single mother with her current income. Her story was highlighted in a United Auto Workers Union video on Monday, coinciding with the ongoing voting process involving members nationwide to authorize a potential strike.
“If I work 40 hours, I’m wondering how I’m going to pay for everything I need,” Schambers said.
If the Big Three fail to negotiate a new four-year labor agreement before the current contract expires, a work stoppage could commence within a matter of weeks.
According to the East Lansing, Michigan-based Anderson Economic Group, a 10-day UAW strike could result in a substantial economic loss exceeding $5 billion.
Despite this potential impact, hundreds of UAW members rallied in Warren, Michigan, at the union’s Solidarity Sunday event.
Analysts indicated that the probability of a walkout is high, especially given the union’s fiery newly elected president, Shaw Fain, who is championing a list of demands.
These include a pay raise exceeding 40% for workers, the reinstating of cost of living adjustments, the end of tiered wage systems, and the implementation of a 32-hour work week.
“I’m gonna be clear with the companies. These aren’t my demands. These are our demands. These come straight from the membership,” Fain said.
Fain adopted a firm stance in dealing with Big Three, using social media live streams to express dissatisfaction with the ongoing negotiations. He’s even gone so far as to physically discard offers from Stellanits.
“So, I’m going to tell you what I’ll do with their proposal, I’m going to file it in its proper place because that’s where it belongs, the trash,” Fain said.
Ford, GM and Stellantis have all issued statements regarding the tense negotiations, each assuring their commitment to prioritizing the well-being of UAW workers.
President Joe Biden has also entered the discussion, putting pressure on the automakers by expressing his expectation that all parties collaborate to establish an equitable agreement.
“We also have been led to believe that this is all we can get this is all we’re worth, and I believe that it is time to change that mindset. That we are worth more,” Schambers said.
The union requires at least two-thirds of the voting members to authorize the strike. If it passes, the work stoppage would go into effect when the current contract expires at 11:59 p.m. Sept. 14.