ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. – The United Auto Workers union is expanding its strike against two of the big three automakers.
UAW President Shawn Fain made the announcement earlier Friday morning. Fain says there is not enough progress being made in talks with GM and Stellantis, so on Friday, the strike against those two companies will grow to include all of GM and Stellantis’ parts and distribution centers.
Those total 38 centers in 20 states.
That is significant because distribution centers generally send parts to dealerships for repairs. With workers at those centers on strike, that could cripple the dealerships’ ability to do repairs, which is a profitable part of their business.
Fain shares that the progress is being made in talks with Ford, so the strike there will not expand. The original three plants where the UAW strike started last week, including Wentzville, will continue to strike.
Here is some of what Fain said at Friday’s conference:
“So, now it’s time to hit the picket lines across the country,” Fain said. “It’s time to show the companies that we are united, fired up, and we are ready for a record contract. It’s time to stand up against corporate greed and stand up for our communities. UAW family, I’ll see you on the picket line.”
Fain made his announcement Friday morning on Facebook Live, where there were some 50,000 people watching.
