Stellantis, GM UAW members await their own historic deal
CENTER LINE, Mich. (FOX 2) - While the UAW and Ford reached a historic agreement on Wednesday, Stellantis and General Motors strikers are still eagerly awaiting their own contract.
The four-year agreement, which includes a 25% wage increase that accounts for cost-of-living, still has to be approved by 57,000 union members at Ford – but strike captain Troy Rollins of the Stellantis-owned Mopar Facility in Center Line thinks they will go for it.
"Oh yeah, they are going to go for it," Rollins said. "That was our issue – ending those tiers, getting these people up to the same wages that everybody makes. (You) can’t come in here and work, and somebody is making 30 dollars an hour and you are making 15 dollars an hour. That has to end."
The tentative deal with Ford is a win for all, said Alan Amici, who heads the Center for Automotive Research.
"From a union stand-point, I think the employees should be really excited about it, really happy. I think they’ve made great progress," Amici said. "From Ford’s view point - great to get back to work. Get that Kentucky Truck Plant up and running. Get some the other plants moving again – Chicago Assembly."
UAW reaches tentative deal with Ford on new contract amid historic strike with Detroit automakers
As of Wednesday night, a historic agreement has been reached between the UAW and Ford.
Amici suggested that Stellantis and GM should swiftly pursue union agreements, as Ford did, in order to prepare for the future of the automotive industry.
"The next steps will be interesting. What is the union going to do in terms of unrepresented plants in the southeastern United States? These are plants that build cars and trucks for Toyota, Hyundai, Honda - Volkswagen for example," he said. "It will be interesting now with significant wage increases by represented plants - what those next steps are."
The anticipated Stellantis and GM agreements are projected to resemble certain elements of the Ford settlement, including cost of living adjustments and 25% wage increases.
Metro-Detroit business leaders said they also hope Stellantis and GM reach an agreement with UAW workers swiftly.
"It’s going to be more expensive to get back up and running then the cost we’ve already incurred," said Sandy Baruah with the Detroit Regional Chamber. "So the $10 billion economic loss, according to the Anderson Economic Group, is really just want we’re losing now. It takes a long time to get started up again – you know, these big factories."