WENTZVILLE, Mo. – On Wednesday, General Motors said the Wentzville strike is impacting other assembly plants across the region, causing them to lay off 2,000 employees at a plant in Fairfax, Kansas.

“I do know that with us, we have a staffing part of our plant that does make parts for other plants,” Victor Dollison said. “So, I think our president does know what kind of affect that will have. So, the plan he’s implemented, I fully agree with it.”

Dollison works at the GM Assembly in Wentzville and said the 2019 strike was his first time walking off the job. But four years later, this strike is different.

“I know from the management side I hear, you know, the economy is crazy, but that still doesn’t negate the fact that everything they’re receiving, despite what the economy is, and how we’re receiving pennies compared to them receiving dollars,” Dollison said.

GM’s website said in the 2019 contract that hourly workers with less than one year of service earning $17 an hour had the potential to reach more than $32 an hour over the contract. It also said in the company’s current proposal that they are offering a 20% raise for employees, including temporary workers. The website said about 85% of currently represented employees would earn a base pay of $82,000 a year.

Dollison said a higher salary is the number one reason he supports the strike.

“The biggest thing is the raises. I think a lot of people don’t understand the strenuous things that we do with our bodies when we’re actually inside here. For instance, my job, I left heavy metal parts with gloves, and I’m consistently moving non-stop. The wear and tear on our bodies,” Dollison said.