Article on the recent UAW strike:
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union went on strike against General Motors on September 16, 2019, in a dispute over wages, benefits, and job security. The strike, which lasted six weeks, was the largest private sector strike in the United States in over a decade.
The UAW's four-year contract with GM expired on September 14, leaving approximately 46,000 hourly workers at dozens of GM facilities across the country without a contract. Talks between the UAW and GM had been ongoing for months leading up to the strike deadline, but the two sides were unable to come to an agreement on key issues.
A major sticking point in negotiations was the union's demand that GM keep open three U.S. factories that it had planned to close - one in Lordstown, Ohio and two in Maryland. The UAW argued that keeping these plants open would preserve American jobs that were being outsourced to other countries. GM countered that market demands did not justify keeping all three plants running.
Other issues in dispute included wages, health care costs, use of temporary workers, and profit sharing. The UAW wanted larger wage increases for its members, who argued they had made concessions to help GM get through bankruptcy a decade ago. The union also wanted to reduce healthcare costs for members and limit GM's use of lower-paid temporary workers.
The strike began on September 16th when the 46,000 UAW members walked off their jobs. Picket lines went up outside GM factories and the strike disrupted production across North America. Within the first week, GM had to halt production at nearly all of its U.S. factories due to the lack of parts.
After nearly six weeks on the picket lines, the UAW and GM finally reached a tentative agreement on October 16th. The deal included a pay raise of 3% in the second and fourth years of the contract, and 3% and 4% lump sums in the first and third years. GM also agreed to invest $7.7 billion in its U.S. factories and to retain existing healthcare benefits without increasing out-of-pocket costs for members.
While the deal did not fully address the union's demand to reopen closed factories, it did allocate some future vehicle production to U.S. plants currently operating. The tentative agreement was then sent to UAW members for a ratification vote. On October 25th, workers voted 57% in favor, bringing the strike to an end.
The 2019 UAW strike was an important show of labor power that resulted in better wages and job security for auto workers. However, it also highlighted the ongoing challenges of preserving American manufacturing jobs in the face of global competition and changing markets. The new contract will help sustain the auto industry workforce for the next four years.