About 146,000 U.S. auto workers are set to go on strike this week if General Motors, Ford and Stellantis fail to meet their demands for big pay raises and the restoration of concessions the workers made years ago when the companies were in financial trouble.

Shawn Fain, the combative president of the United Auto Workers union, has threatened to strike any of the three companies that hasn’t reached an agreement by the time its contract with the union expires at 11:59 p.m. Eastern time Thursday.

Both sides began exchanging wage and benefit proposals last week. Though some incremental progress appears to have been made, a final agreement could come too late to avoid walkouts by UAW workers at factories in multiple states. Any strike would likely cause significant disruptions for auto production in the United States.

  • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    “Best paid in their field” and paid their fair share for their labor are not the same thing. 16% which is a lie, isn’t enough for 40 years of being under paid.

    • SCB@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      No UAW member is underpaid. The UAW is among the most powerful unions in the world.

      I’m all for this current fight but suggesting they are somehow underpaid is both laughable and demeaning to the UAW.

    • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      40 years of being under paid.

      LOL

      You might want to step out of this conversation if you think UAW members have ever been underpaid. Union workers for GM, Ford and Chrysler had been paid a good 30 to 50% (or more) more than autoworkers for Japanese and German carmakers operating plants in the US.

      • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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        1 year ago

        Sounds like they should join UAW if they don’t want the gap to keep growing to the point where they can’t afford to live where they work. Cost of living ain’t waiting for their bosses to spare some change they could give to their major shareholders instead.

        • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          And yet they willingly vote against unionization. It’s almost as if they know something.

          • bluGill@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            I don’t know what things are like in Japan, but in Germany everyone is in the union.

            • Avid Amoeba@lemmy.ca
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              1 year ago

              I think they were talking about Japanese and German autos operating in the US. Only they know what UAW and German union workers don’t, apparently.

          • GeneralVincent@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            What do they know? How about you let us all in on the secret of why unions are bad?

            Every study and source I’ve seen says it results in higher pay and better working conditions, but maybe you have a reliable source saying otherwise?

      • NatakuNox@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        If the worker isn’t the number one benefactor I don’t care if they are paid above the average. That goes for all industries. The owners, executive, investors, and board members shouldn’t. Paying works well never bankrupt a company, but underpaying absolutely will.