In a major development Friday in the United Auto Workers strike against the Big 3 automakers, Union President Shawn Fain announced that they were “minutes away” from calling on GM workers in Arlington for them to walk off the job before a major breakthrough happened at the bargaining table.
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In a message on X, Fain said GM has now agreed, in writing, to place employees who work in the battery or electric division under the UAW umbrella. Fain said this is significant for a couple of reasons.
“The plan was to draw down engine and transmission plants and permanently replace them with low wage battery jobs,” Fain said. “We had a different plan.”
The Union said the addition of the Arlington assembly plant to the strike is what prompted the breakthrough. “The company knew those members were ready to walk immediately,” he said. “And just that threat has provided a transformative win.”
The union said the Arlington assembly plant is GM’s largest money maker, employing about 5,000 workers. Union members at the plant had already started refusing overtime and opting to take lunch breaks rather than working through them for extra pay, something the plant regularly offers workers.
Around 13,000 UAW members are on strike nationwide, between GM, Ford and Stellantis operations.
The Fort Worth GM parts distribution plant in Roanoke and the Dallas Stellantis plant in Carrollton are two facilities that have already joined picketing workers.
The UAW is demanding, among other things, a 40% pay raise for employees over four years.
Around 13,000 UAW members are on strike nationwide, between GM, Ford and Stellantis operations.
The strike started back on September 15. It’s had a $3.95 billion dollar impact on the nationwide economy so far, according to a report by Anderson Economic Group.
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