“Strike Now or Never: UAW President Braces for More Walkouts

The United Auto Workers (UAW) President, Gary Jones, has warned of more walkouts across all sectors of the auto industry in the near future as the ongoing strike in Detroit continues. Jones expressed exasperation at the lack of progress in negotiations with General Motors, stating that the UAW has been “absolutely shut down” by the company. The first strike began on September 16th when 46,000 General Motors (GM) workers shut down 33 manufacturing plants in nine US states, with workers demanding a better wage and better benefits. Almost four months later, and after numerous failed negotiations with GM, the strike has lasted longer than any strike in the past 30 years. Jones stated that the UAW is “snowballing” their negotiations, meaning that the strike could spread beyond GM if things do not improve within the company. He noted that if a settlement can not be reached in the near future, then workers across “multiple sectors” in the auto industry could walk out in support of the GM strikers. The UAW is hoping to avoid further walkouts, but Jones is making contingencies in case the situation does not improve and negotiations with GM hit a dead end. He noted that at any moment the UAW could decide to put pressure on other companies, stating that “we have the right to do that”. The strike has put a strain on GM and, by extension, on the auto industry, leading to decreased production and fewer cars available to customers. This is one of the reasons why negotiations between the two parties have failed to move forward significantly. However, the UAW insists it will continue to pressure GM until a suitable solution is reached. Nevertheless, the future of the auto industry remains uncertain and the threat of more walkouts beyond the GM strike still lingers. President Jones is warning that further labor actions could take place “at any moment” if the current situation does not improve in the immediate future. To ensure that the auto industry does not suffer further, negotiations between the two parties must begin to show progress.