Washington DC
\nThe United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three automakers is set to enter its third day Sunday with no immediate resolution on the horizon.
\nOn Saturday, negotiators for the United Auto Workers and Ford Motor had \u201creasonably productive discussions\u201d toward a new contract, the union said, while Chrysler-parent Stellantis said it had boosted its contract offer.
\nAbout 12,700 UAW workers remain on strike as part of a coordinated labor action targeting three US assembly plants \u2014 one at each of the Detroit Three automakers after the prior four-year labor agreements expired at 11:59 p.m. ET Thursday.
\nUnion negotiators and representatives of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis resumed talks on Saturday, a day after the UAW initiated the most ambitious US industrial labor action in decades.
\nStellantis said main bargaining talks are to resume Monday, while some subcommittee negotiations are set for Sunday at General Motors. UAW President Shawn Fain is scheduled to appear on two national news programs Sunday.
\nStellantis said Saturday it hiked its offer, proposing raises of 20 percent over a four-and-a-half-year contract term, including an immediate 10 percent hike. That matches proposals from GM and Ford.
\nThe proposals are about half the 40 percent wage hike the UAW is demanding through 2027, including an immediate 20 percent boost.
\nMark Stewart, the North American chief operating officer for Stellantis, told reporters Saturday the UAW rejected a proposal to resume operations at an assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, noting its offer had been contingent on reaching agreement before the contract expiration.
\nIn late February, Stellantis indefinitely idled operations at the Belvidere plant, citing rising costs of electric vehicle production.
\nThe UAW criticized the company position on the Illinois plant saying now \u201cthey are now taking it back. That\u2019s how they see these workers. A bargaining chip.\u201d
\nStellantis said late Saturday is willing to negotiate about the plant\u2019s future. \u201cThe truth is UAW leadership ignored Belvidere in favor of a strike,\u201d the company said.
\nThe strikes have halted production at three plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri that produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, along with other popular models.
\nOn Friday, Ford said it was indefinitely laying off 600 workers at a Michigan plant because of the impact of the strike at the facility, which makes the Bronco, and GM told some 2,000 workers at a Kansas car plant that their factory likely would be shut down Monday or Tuesday due to a lack of parts, stemming from the strike at a GM Missouri plant.
\nBesides higher wages, the UAW is demanding shorter work weeks, restoration of defined benefit pensions and stronger job security as automakers make the EV shift.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Washington DC The United Auto Workers strike against the Detroit Three automakers is set to enter its third day Sunday with no immediate resolution on the horizon. On Saturday, negotiators for the United Auto Workers and Ford Motor had \u201creasonably productive discussions\u201d toward a new contract, the union said, while Chrysler-parent Stellantis said it had […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":356619,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-356599","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n