Photo: Shutterstock / Shutterstock
After its seventh day of strike by the United Auto Workers union to demand fairer wage increases this Thursday, it was learned that two of the three large automobile manufacturers will make cuts to their payrolls.
According to a statement published by Stellantis approximately About 68 employees to be laid off at Toledo Machining Plant in PerrysburgOhio, this is due to the great impact that the worker strike has had.
For its part, General Motors also announced the layoff of 2,000 workers who worked at the Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas. Added to this is the 600 employees laid off by Ford last Friday, which belonged to the body construction department at the assembly plant in Michigan.
Given this measure by the manufacturers to achieve an end to the strike, Stellantis noted that more layoffs are anticipated at Kokomo Transmission and Kokomo Casting in Indiana.
The union threatens to extend the strike to other plants
However, the union gives clear signs of continuing with the strike until reaching fair salary agreements where the requested benefits and hiring are also met. Therefore, they threaten to extend the protests to more plants this weekend, if negotiations are not achieved.
General Motors commented on the matter “We have repeatedly said that no one wins from a strike and that the effects go far beyond our employees at the plant and negatively impact our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business, such as in Kansas City. “What happened to our Fairfax team members is a clear and immediate demonstration of that fact,” the company said in a statement.
UAW President Shawn Fain recently stated that “if we want to move forward at the negotiating table, we must show companies that it is not just about words,” he said while indicating that “our demands are fair. We are asking for our fair share in this economy and the fruits of our labor”, said.
The manufacturers continue to argue that this is not the best time to take on the union’s demands since it has been necessary to reduce vehicle prices in order to remain in the market, this has affected workers and their salaries.
Keep reading:
- UAW strike: CEOs earn up to 350 times more than the average worker
- UAW union rejects 21% wage increase by automaker
- UAW strike could expand to more auto plants before this weekend if there are no agreements