“We’re not there yet”: UAW update 3

This third ISP auto workers strike update will focus on four issues: the current state of negotiations, some of the impacts of the strike, the strike at Mack Truck, and finally the mood and morale of the strikers.

Major victory for just transition at GM

Even though the strike is continuing, the union has already made significant progress at the bargaining table. Most importantly, on October 6, General Motors agreed that future production of batteries for electric vehicles would be done by UAW members. Electric vehicles will obviously play a bigger and bigger role in the auto industry. It’s crucial that workers in this growing sector have the protection and support of union organization. The Big Three had been holding firm against this. GM changed its position due to the imminent threat of a strike at GM’s large plant in Arlington, Texas. GM’s backdown is a major victory for the union.

Every Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain delivers a major live broadcast updating the membership on where things stand and plans for the coming week. Last Friday, Fain gave a detailed report on the situation at the three bargaining tables.

Wages. Ford’s latest offer is 23%, GM and Stellantis are at 20%. These numbers do not meet the union’s demands but are a marked increase from previous company proposals.
COLA. Recent inflation has given a sense of urgency to the demand for a cost-of-living agreement that raises wages in tandem with inflation. Ford and Stellantis have agreed to reinstate the COLA, while GM has not.
Temporary workers. Current company wage proposals are $20 an hour at GM and Stellantis and $21 at Ford. There is no agreement on the timetable for the “conversion” of temps into full employees.
Progression. Progression means the number of years that it takes to get to the top of the wage schedule. At the moment, it takes eight years. Ford is now proposing three years, while GM and Stellantis are dragging their heels at four.
General issues. The union has made steps forward on job security, tool allowances, and non-economic language. Company concessionary demands on profit sharing have been rebuffed.
Pensions. This extremely important issue still remains to be resolved.

What does all this mean? Shawn Fain has captured it perfectly. The union is making significant advances, but “We’re not there yet”. This was his central point both in the Friday broadcast and at a rally on Saturday at Local 551 on Chicago’s south-east side.

Effects of the strike

The strike can potentially impact three sectors: non-striking workers, the availability of spare parts, and the number of new cars on dealers’ lots. Layoffs are continuing to spread as the strike continues. About 4,000 workers have been laid-off at Big Three factories that are still working. The tightly integrated nature of the industry means that this number will increase as the strike goes on.

Roughly 3,000 workers have been sent home in the spare parts sector. This is where the effects of the strike will be felt most acutely. Thirty-eight GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers remain on strike. Their rapid turn-around time means the absence of parts for needed repairs is felt almost at once. So far, new car dealers appear to still have sufficient inventory on their lots.

Mack Truck workers join the struggle

On October 9, the situation escalated when 4,000 UAW members at Mack Truck, a heavy truck manufacturer in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida went on strike. This strike is not a formal part of the Big Three negotiations, as Mack is owned by Volvo. However, more auto workers going on strike certainly deepens the momentum and enthusiasm of the strike.

Mood and morale of the strikers

Six points have become clear from the picket lines and rallies.

One, in conversations workers stress four points over and over again. They made large concessions in the past and now is the time for the company to do the right thing. The CEOs are making astronomical salaries and workers have the right to a much better wage. The wealth of the Big Three is created by the workers’ own labor. The strike is part of a broader movement of the whole working class.
Two, the strikers have undertaken a monumental logistical task. Take the Chicago Ford Assembly Plant as an example. The union has to organize strike pay and picketing schedules for 4,600 workers. The picket is maintained at all the gates to the large factory 24/7. This means tents, food and water, burn barrels, wood, bathrooms, and new picket signs all have to be organized. This requires a web of picket captains to carry these tasks out. The union leadership moves from gate to gate keeping up morale and answering questions.
Three, in most strikes, unions speak of “working families” or “the middle class” when describing themselves. In this strike, the union uses the term “working class” frequently and unambiguously.
Four, solidarity is rightly proclaimed in virtually all strikes. However, the current UAW leadership seems to be expanding the concept. The October 7 rally at the UAW 551 hall illustrates this point. One of the speakers at the rally was Ka Bong, leader of the militant KMU union in the Philippines. Chicago Teachers Union President Stacey Davis Gates explained why the fight against racism is in the interests of all workers. Shawn Fein took up why unionists should support the Black struggle and welcome new immigrants.
Five, Shawn Fain is extremely popular with the base of the union. This comes up time and time again on the picket line. An incident sums this up. As I was leaving the October 7 rally, I was stopped by two strikers I had met on the picket lines. They wanted to very proudly show me a “selfie” they had taken with Shawn Fein.
Six, the union is using the new strategy of the Stand Up or escalating strike. They are only striking certain plants, not all of them. It would be expected that such a controversial strategy might create some internal dissension in the union. However, in six visits to the picket line I did not hear a single worker question this strategy. In fact, there was strong support for it.

To conclude, the UAW is making progress at the bargaining table, but there is still room to go. The run-on effects of the strike are beginning to be felt and the mood of the strikers continues to be self-confident.

Rumors of the death of the class struggle have been greatly exaggerated.