UAW Strike 2023: Key Issues Facts and Impacts to BOTH Sides

UAW Strike 2023: Key Issues Facts and Impacts to BOTH Sides

The stakes are high as a new UAW president fights. The stakes are high as a new UAW president fights for a self-described 'audacious and ambitious' list of demands from Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.

UAW President, Shawn Fain and Bernie Sanders spoke at a rally for the UAW in Detroit Friday.  Union supporters then took to the streets to march past the GM Renaissance Center and back to the UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center. Workers want a raise and more benefits.

The UAW has also criticized President Joe Biden’s efforts to promote electric vehicles. This will reduce the work force by 40% if manufacturers produce only electric cars. All of this while battery plants are built in non-union states.

Automotive suppliers at every tier are playing the waiting game as the UAW strike against the Detroit 3 automakers unfolds, preparing for potential layoffs should it be a prolonged work stoppage.

Dealers across the country are putting contingency plans into action now that production has stopped at three vehicle assembly plants amid the UAW launching a historic strike against all 3 Detroit automakers early Friday.

A 10-day strike could cost the economy $5.6 billion.

If the strike lasted only a few days, the three automakers might not struggle too much, given all have inventories that could last about two months — and much longer for some models. At the start of the pandemic, automakers faced supply-chain constraints, particularly with computer chips, that hindered vehicle production. Despite a lack of inventory, industry profits skyrocketed, even though 2022 was the worst year for sales for the auto industry in over a decade.

Bloomberg reported that these wage increases and other changes could amount to over $80 billion in additional expenses for each company over four years. Other companies that heavily rely on these automakers, such as auto-parts makers, which get as much as one-third of their revenue from these three companies, are also expected to see major drops in earnings in the event of a strike.

The strike could seep into politics as campaigning picks up for the 2024 presidential election. Key swing states such as Michigan and Wisconsin would likely take large economic hits from the strike.

Car prices have been leveling off as manufacturers have built up inventories since the big price spikes at the height of pandemic supply-chain woes. But a strike could cut into those inventories, leading to renewed price hikes and a new round of customer anxiety.

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[ronmexico]

The increased wages the UAW is seeking is nothing more than inflation protection since the bailout. Not one more dollar in spending power is being asked for

[lorichapman]

I own a used car dealership with my son (about 180 cars on our lot). The fact that these CEO's of these companies are making this kind of money while their employees wages haven't kept up with inflation is the downfall of this country. The pigery of the super rich and powerful has changed the landscape of America. Greed is wiping out middle America, which is taking out the fabric of what our country was built on. Why can't we see this? Are these milti millionaires and billionaires that short sighted that they cannot see the self-serving greed will back-fire some day in a very big way. The divisiveness, political correctness that holds us back from speaking the truth could eventually cost us our country. My son and i took a 33% salary reduction before reducing any of our employees wages since 2023 hasn't been as good as the previous year.

[dgriffith]

Let's discuss the $21 million Farley made last year. I work at Michigan assembly & don't miss a single day of work, Farley makes more in 2 days than I do all year. Make that make sense. We the workers bailed out Ford, not the government. It's time to live up to your end of the promise. Give us back what we gave up. And I'm the one in all red in the middle of the picture.

[mrguy]

CEOs gave themselves 40% more pay for doing nothing but giving stock buy backs. Workers were given only 20% from these same ghouls. These executives should all be fired and replaced with a board of real workers

[ubxyhtg]

It's basically comes down to greed. This will only hurt the economy and the customers. It goes to show that the CEO don't care about their employees .

[Joeharlow]

Yall are gonna pay more for the cars whether they get raises or not. UAW went 12 years without raises and the car prices still went up. So I wouldn't use that argument if I were yall.

[peeweeacres]

Best video on the strike yet telling both sides.

[davidglaum]

This seems to be the problem with meany of the huge companies today people at the top getting millions of dollars a year in salary. What do they do that is worth that amount of money how can they justify it?

[barryhamilton]

You use to could buy a house for what these cars and trucks are costing today!! Ridiculous!!

[Jdigger]

Could you do a report on what it costs to build a car in the little 3? The guy says labor is only 6 percent of cost of a car sounds untrue. Labor/human is always the most expensive cost in every other thing on earth. I would like to hear how they get to that metric.

[mposey-yyil]

Hope both sides do the right thing...MAKE AMERICA STRONG!

[dg]

I bet many workers feel trapped between the union and the company. The ev transition will eliminate hundreds from the big 3.

[johnnyappleseed]

The customer is already paying more..
The Big 3 raised thier prices by 30% over the last few years, while the employees recieved very little of the benefit.
The Corporate Propaganda from these paid mouthpieces is just sickening!...It's no wonder that the country is in the shape it is today..
As well meaning people actually believe this load of nonsense.

[MacNifty]

The workers did not walk off the job we were forced out the door when they closed our doors 30 minutes previous to our shift ending.

[John-yfie]

Back in the early 1960's my dad was Union Strong!! The 2-3 union workers that loaded and unloaded Box cars at several warehouses owned by a large company. Every 2-3 years the Union went strike demanding more benefits and higher wages. My mom said one day the company will just pickup and move out of state. On a Monday morning my dad went to work only to find out the company doors were closed and padlocks attached. For over a week dad and his friends called several places trying to find out what happened. That weekend the Sunpapers story published the company moved ovenight to another state. Months went by and my dad and others tried to find another job. My dad wanted to work as he spent 10 years with this company. And the Union did nothing to support them. My dad was lucky as he became employed with the military as a civilian worker doing freight. Never again did he support and unions!! He said all he rememembered is the Union has your back!! My mom said so where is the CEO of your union. We found out he retired in a high class community in Florida!!!!

[Littlenovatv]

32hr work week doesn't mean less work. A 32hr work week means overtime after 32hrs. Its that way in Canadian trades for 20yrs Im aware of.

[richt]

Most AMERICANS can't afford a NEW CAR in JOE BIDENOMICS WORLD!!

[MacNifty]

Not one independent reporter. Where is our Union reporter where is our UAW news? Let the corporations step to the side the news agency's professional and corporate as well as any governor or church. Separate all of these organizations from the independent people.

[koioo]

we had similar strike for the train and after negotiations, the salary went up but the tickets to buy price went up to

[AliceLane-uu]

The chasm between the wages of line workers and the billionaires is equal to the Serfdom of the Middle Ages ; a fact that is supported by dark money in politics.