DETROIT (WWJ) -- The United Auto Workers is expanding its historic Stand Up Strike against the Detroit Three automakers.
On Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain announced strikes against all parts distribution facilities at General Motors and Stellantis — including 38 facilities across 20 states.
All workers at those facilities, including 13 in Michigan, were instructed to walk out at noon on Sept. 22.
"We will shut down parts distribution until these two companies come to their senses, and come to the table with a serious offer," Fain said.
For GM, the affected facilities include Pontiac, Willow Run, Ypsilanti, Davison Road, Flint, Lansing, Cincinnati, Denver, Hudson, Chicago, Reno, Rancho Cucamonga, Fort Worth, Martinsburg, Jackson, Charlotte, Memphis and Philadelphia.
For Stellantis, the locations are Marysville, Center Line Packaging, Center Line Warehouse, Sherwood, Warren Parts, Quality Engineering Center, Romulus, Cleveland, Milwaukee, Minneapolis, Denver, Chicago, Los Angeles, Portland, Atlanta, Winchester, Orlando, Dallas, New York and Boston.
Fain also confirmed that those plants already on strike will stay on strike.
He said the union has a "clear strategy to win."
"The public is on our side," Fain said, adding: "We can, and will go all out if we need to."
Fain said Ford Motor Co. is not impacted in this round, as they're making progress in negotiations with that automaker, including on issues such as pay, cost of living allowance, profit sharing, job security and the right to strike over plant closures.
Fain said it appears that Ford is "serious about making a deal," while it's a different story at Stellantis and GM, which have rejected several of the UAW's proposals.
"And we will keep going, and keep organizing, and keep expanding the Stand Up Strike as necessary," Fain said. "Across the county, people are gonna know that the UAW is ready to stand up for our communities, and ready to stand up against corporate greed."
Autoworkers, meanwhile, are reacting enthusiastically to the expansion of the strike.
"GM and Stellantis are going down hard! This is good," said Scott Alexander of Canton is a 27-year Ford employee. "We got cost of living back for Ford. Thank you! Just, thank you! But the one thing we haven't heard (about) is the wage increase. That's what we're waiting on."
So, why target parts facilities and not more plants? WWJ Auto Analyst John McElroy said it's part of a carefully thought out strategy.
"I think most analysts expected the UAW to go after the full-size pickup or the SUV plant, where they make most of their profits," McElroy said. "But it's a way of Shawn Fain being able to ratchet up the pressure on Stellantis and General Motors without really financially crippling them."
"He wants to, it would seem from the strategy, just continue to make the pain greater without really trying to kill the companies financially."
McElroy said, however, this latest move by the UAW will directly affect the consumer.
"Because these are plants, parts plants, that typically bring spare parts to dealerships," he explained. "And, you know, once you run out of spare parts, people are not going to be able to get their cars fixed. And that's going to be a pretty serious situation from a customer standpoint. They're going to be very unhappy that they can't get their cars repaired or serviced."
McElroy said Fain's latest action indicates to automakers that if they don't come to the table with a better offer, the union is ready to ramp up the strike even further.
If the strike does continue, McElroy said it's not overstating to say that it will be crippling for the Big Three and the nation's automotive industry.
WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert is following this story. Stay tuned for the details. >>LISTEN LIVE