The strike affecting the American automobile sector is now taking on a much more significant dimension. The affected sites are more and more numerous, and the demands of the workers are now entering the political arena with the arrival of President Joe Biden, who intends to undermine his main adversary, the former Republican head of state. Donald Trump.
The Democratic president, who readily describes himself as the primary supporter of American unions, and who had also been invited to make such a gesture, will travel to Michigan on Tuesday on a picket line as a sign of “solidarity.”
“It’s time for a win-win deal” between automakers and the UAW union, Joe Biden said in a message on X (formerly Twitter).
The 80-year-old Democrat has already publicly estimated several times that manufacturers should pass on their “record profits” to employees. He had so far planned to spend the next week on a trip to the West. But the opportunity is too good to defraud his great rival Donald Trump, who also wants to be the champion of workers and popular circles.
The former Republican president, favorite in his party’s primary for the 2024 presidential election, has in fact planned to go on a strike picket on Wednesday. And also in Michigan, an electorally key state. Enough to suddenly politicize a social movement which clearly amplified on Friday.
The strike spread to American car manufacturers General Motors and Stellantis, due to lack of progress in union negotiations, unlike Ford where “real progress” has been made. Since Friday midday (4 p.m. GMT), the 38 spare parts distribution centers of these two manufacturers have been affected.
“We are not going to wait forever to obtain fair contracts from the Big Three”, nickname of the three major American manufacturers, launched Shawn Fain, president of the powerful union UAW, in a video. These sites, located in twenty states in the United States, employ around 5,600 UAW members out of the 146,000 working for the 3 giants in Detroit, Michigan.
The three factories on strike since September 15 will remain on strike, Mr. Fain said. These three sites – one for each of the Big Three – employ some 12,700 UAW members. This is the first strike affecting all three groups at the same time.
“We invite and encourage anyone who supports our cause to join us on the picket lines, from friends and family to the President of the United States,” Fain said.
At this stage, the economic impact has been limited, but the extension of the movement at Stellantis and GM risks having greater repercussions, because these centers supply garages and dealers with spare parts for vehicles already sold, therefore directly affecting the general public.
And “they generate significant profits, particularly for Stellantis,” noted Mr. Fain on CNBC, adding that the union was considering “many possible actions” for the future.
The strikers each receive $500 a week from the union welfare fund instead of their usual wages.
General Motors, which has 18 additional sites affected, accused UAW leaders of “manipulating the bargaining process for their own gain.” Same accusation from Stellantis, who “wonders if they ever intended to find an agreement in time”.
Regarding Ford, Shawn Fain noted a “serious desire to reach an agreement,” even if “serious problems” persist.
The union is demanding in particular a salary increase of 40% over four years, corresponding to that enjoyed by group leaders over the last four years.