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Thursday, October 12th, 2023

Workers walk out of Ford’s most profitable plant as UAW expands strike

Author:     Rebecca Falconer
Source:     Axios
Publication Date:     11 October 2023
 Link: Workers walk out of Ford’s most profitable plant as UAW expands strike
Stephan:  

What I find interesting about the UAW strike and the Writers Guild strike before that is that after years of seeing the number of workers unionized go down — the percentage of workers represented by a union was 11.3 percent in 2022, down by 0.3 percentage point from a year ago — this is now beginning to change and it is dawning on workers that they have power when they speak with one voice. The unions were very important in creating the American middle class, so I see this as good news.

UAW President Shawn Fain greets members attending a rally in support of the labor union strike at the UAW Local 551 hall on the South Side on Oct. 7, 2023 in Chicago, Illinois. Credit: Jim Vondruska / Getty

The United Auto Workers union expanded its strike action against against Detroit Three automakers on Wednesday to include 8,700 members at the Ford Kentucky Truck Plant in a move the car giant denounced as “grossly irresponsible.”

Why it matters: The union said in an online post that the surprise move marked a “new phase” in its action against Ford, General Motors and Stellantis as the strike nears its fourth week. Previous strike expansions “occurred at a deadline set in advance by the union,” per the UAW.

  • The plant is Ford’s most profitable, with $25 billion in annual revenue or roughly one sixth of the firm’s automotive revenue worldwide, Reuters notes.

What they’re saying: “It’s time for a fair contract at Ford and the rest of the Big Three,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement.

  • “If they can’t understand […]
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