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.

  • Hazdaz@lemmy.world
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    10 months 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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      10 months 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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        10 months ago

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

        • bluGill@kbin.social
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          10 months 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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            10 months 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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          10 months 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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      10 months 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.