(WWJ) - It's been nearly month since thousands of auto workers began walking off the job in a historic strike against Detroit's Big Three and while no additional strikes were added on Friday, that could change at a moment's notice.
Shawn Fain, President of the United Auto Workers, announced a new strike strategy in his Oct. 13th address on social media after accusing General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Stellantis of "sitting back" and playing games as they hash out new contracts.
"When I tell all of you members to be ready to stand up, I mean it — we're not waiting until Fridays anymore," Fain told autoworkers in his late morning announcement. "We're not sticking to one pattern or one system of giving these companies an extra hour or an extra day — they know what needs to happen and they know how to get it done."
Fain says union members are right to be angry and claimed the working class has been back peddling since the Great Recession, all while corporate profits have soared to a 70 year high.
"We are here to address decades of falling standards and unfair treatment of the American auto worker," Fain stressed.
So far, roughly 34,000 UAW members have been called to the picket line at six assembly plants and 38 parts distribution facilities run by General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.
MORE ON THE HISTORIC UAW STRIKE: Tens of thousands of UAW workers have been walking the picket lines against Stellantis, General Motors and Ford with no end in sight — what is the potential economic impact here in Michigan and how that might play into how long the strike will last?
The UAW surprised Ford on Wednesday by expanding their strike and to include the automaker's largest factory, the Kentucky Truck Plant. Roughly 8,700 members walked out, stalling the manufacturing of some of Ford's most valuable vehicles, including the heavy duty version of their F Series pickup and full-size SUVs.
"They thought they figured out the so-called 'rules of the game,'" Fain said of the automakers. "So we changed the rules and now there's only one rule: pony up."
Fain said their sights are aimed at reaching a tentative agreement that brings about a total economic and social justice.
"The companies and the corporate media tried to scare everyone about the devastation our strike would cause they tried to convince everyone that it's dangerous for the working class to fight for more," he added. "Instead they're learning a hard fact: the working class in this country is fed up with being bullied by rich corporations and the wealthy."
"The working class in this country is sticking together," Fain stated as he called on UAW members to join strikers on the picket line on Saturday, Oct. 14 to show their support.
The UAW president also hit back at critics who said union expectations were too high.
"We've seen our standard of living decline due to stagnant wages and rising inflation. Income inequality in the United States has now risen to heights not seen since the Great Depression, so I'm not the cause of raised expectations.," he fired back.
The UAW president cited overflowing corporate bank accounts and company executives ranking in salaries while the average worker struggles as the big motivators behind the UAW's fight.
"It's our obligation to the working class and to future generations. What's truly dangerous is to continue to allow inequality to spiral out of control. What's dangerous is to let the ultra rich get richer while the working class falls further behind. What's dangerous is to let companies and politicians kick workers while we're down gut our unions and rig our economy," Fain said. "So unless employers start coming to their senses, unless we start to see real gains in our contracts that match the gains we've seen on Wall Street, then I predict there are gonna be a lot more strikes on the horizon."
This is a developing story. Stay tuned to WWJ Newsradio 950 for the latest details as they become available. >>> LISTEN LIVE!