UAW, Big 3 have only days left to reach deal before employees strike
DETROIT (FOX 2) - If the United Auto Workers and Big Three automakers don't reach a deal by the end of Sept. 14, union employees will go on strike.
"If we don't get our justice, I can guarantee you one thing - come this Thursday at midnight, there will be action," UAW president Shawn Fain said.
Ford, General Motors, Stellantis and the union have been negotiating as they work to reach a deal and avert a strike.
The UAW has scrapped multiple proposals from the automakers, with Fain showing what he thought of the proposals by throwing them into a trashcan during a Facebook Live on Friday.
Stellantis said it plans to present the union with another proposal Monday morning after a weekend of negotiating.
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UAW president trashes counterproposals from Ford, GM, Stellantis with big gap between demands and offers
There's only six days until autoworkers' contracts expire. The president is promising a strike if no deal is reached by then.
These offers have included raises and inflation bonuses, but they haven't come close enough to what the union is looking for.
Union requests include a 46% pay raise, a 32-hour work week with 40 hours of pay, and restoration of traditional pensions for new hires, among other demands. See what they want here.
Here are the Big Three's counterproposals:
- Ford provides counteroffer to UAW as strike date nears
- Here's what GM offered to UAW as strike deadline nears
- Stellantis' offer to UAW includes 14.5% raises, inflation bonuses
"We want a deal, we're ready for a deal, but it has to be a deal that honors our members' sacrifice and contributions," Fain said. "The cost of a strike might be high, but the cost of not striking is higher."
Experts have said a strike would be detrimental to supply chains and the economy, especially in Michigan.
"A UAW strike against the domestic auto manufacturers will have far and away a disproportionately negative impact on Michigan and that’s because Michigan has more automotive production than any other state in the union," said Sandy Baruah, the president of the Detroit Regional Chamber.