The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike to two additional factories Friday, but the GM plant in Arlington is still operating. GM Arlington Assembly employs about 5,600 people and produces full-size SUVs for Cadillac, Chevrolet and GMC.
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UAW added a Ford assembly plant in Chicago and a GM plant in Lansing, Michigan to the strike Friday.
"We will keep building our arsenal of democracy, and we will win," UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video statement Friday morning.
UAW workers in Arlington were given assignments last week in case they do go on strike at some point. Some have been assigned picketing times at different gates outside the plant; others have been assigned to duties like transportation or food preparation.
While the plant in Arlington is still running, workers have been on strike at the GM parts distribution plant in Roanoke and Stellantis plant in Carrollton since last week.
Friday, workers were picketing outside each plant.
"We're pushing the agenda of what we're fighting for," one man at the Stellantis plant said. "We're picketing to let everyone know what our struggles are."
"We've had record profits," another said. "We come in, we work, sometimes seven days a week. We're just asking for a little bit more."
Friday morning, the UAW's Fain said he delayed his announcement by about 30 minutes because the union had made "significant progress" in negotiations with Stellantis. As a result, he said the union would not expand strikes against Stellantis.
"We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues," Fain said.
"We have made progress in our discussions, but gaps remain. We are committed to continue working through these issues in an expeditious manner," Stellantis wrote in an email.
The president of General Motors wrote in an op-ed in the Detroit Free Press last week that the company had offered a 20% raise for all workers, including temporary workers. Mark Reuss said some entry-level workers could expect a 141% raise.
Reuss also wrote, even though GM is turning record profit, UAW's demands were "untenable." He wrote the company intends to add jobs next year and also intends to spend up to $12 billion this year on its plants to improve existing plants for both internal combustion vehicles and EVs. He included a reference to the Arlington plant in his oped.
"The fundamental reality is that the UAW’s demands can be described in one word — untenable. We want to ensure our company succeeds, and more importantly wins for the next 100 years — for the benefit of everyone," he wrote.
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