(WWJ) – More UAW workers are expected to hit the picket lines later this week.
WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert says UAW President Shawn Fain will announce the next round of plants to go on strike at 10 a.m. Friday if no deal is reached before then, according to a union source.
As was the case when Fain announced the second round of striking plants last Friday, those workers are expected to walk off the job at noon.
Last Friday more than 5,000 workers walked off the job at 38 parts distribution centers across the country. That announcement came a little more than a week after three assembly plants – including the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne – were the first facilities to strike on Sept. 15 when the union contracts with the Detroit Three expired.
It is not clear which plants, or what type of facilities, may be included in this week's announcement. Last week, only GM and Stellantis facilities were included in the expansion, as Ford and the UAW were said to have been making slight progress in their talks.
"A source close to the talks says 'don't read anything into that this week -- the choice will be made based on progress being made right now,'" Gilbert reported live on WWJ Wednesday afternoon.
Sources say the UAW does have meetings with GM on Wednesday, but it's hard to tell whether those talks will impact the dynamics of the negotiations, according to Gilbert.
The union and automakers still remain at odds over wage increases, cost of living adjustments and other improvements, including pensions.
As the strike approaches the two-week mark, President Joe Biden paid a visit on Tuesday to picketing workers outside the Willow Run Parts Redistribution Center in Belleville.
On Wednesday night former President Donald Trump will speak to roughly 500 current and former UAW members at Drake Enterprises, a non-union plant.