The United Auto Workers (UAW) is escalating its fight with Detroit’s big three automakers by revealing the locations of its newest strike. UAW members are set to walk off the job at General Motors and Ford facilities across the United States in the coming days amidst its labor dispute with the automobile companies.
The move is the latest in the UAW’s increasingly tense and critical battle with GM, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler over wages, working conditions, and healthcare benefits. Last month, the union approved a new three-year contract with Ford, setting a path for resolving the union’s fight with the automakers. However, the UAW has yet to reach a deal with GM and Fiat Chrysler, and it is now launching a strike at the two largest American automakers.
At the time of this article’s release, the exact list of work locations to be affected by the strike is still unknown. But UAW President Gary Jones has identified factories in Detroit, Michigan, including the GM plant in Warren and the Ford headquarters in Dearborn, that will be targeted in the union’s latest offensive. Workers in other U.S. cities, including Bowling Green, KY and Flint, MI, are also expected to participate in the strike.
The walk-off is only the latest in a lengthy line of protests this summer from the UAW. In addition to its fight with the Big Three, the union is also standing firm in its demands that foreign car manufacturers follow the same labor standards as domestic automakers when producing vehicles on American soil.
As the days go on and the fight between the UAW and Detroit’s Big Three intensifies, it remains uncertain whether a new collective bargaining agreement will be reached between the union and the automakers. What is certain, however, is that the union will continue to push for better wages, improved working conditions, and secure healthcare benefits for its members.