DThe US auto union UAW has also pushed through a 25 percent increase in income at the third car giant, General Motors. The strikes in the industry that have been going on for a good six weeks have ended, as UAW President Shawn Fain announced in a video message on Monday.
Last week, Ford and the Stellantis Group agreed to an increase of this magnitude over the more than four-year term of the contract. The agreements now have to be approved by the union members.
The UAW’s original demand was 40 percent – on the grounds that the income of the top management of the major auto companies had grown by this amount. Before the strike began, car manufacturers were prepared to accept increases of up to 20 percent over a period of four and a half years – and initially emphasized that a higher offer was not economically possible. The union decided to gradually expand the strikes to other plants. This meant that the companies did not know which of their factories might be affected next.
The agreements with Ford and Stellantis increased pressure on General Motors as striking factories at its competitors resumed production.
“Record-breaking agreements”
After the agreement at GM, US President Joe Biden spoke of “historic” and “record-breaking agreements” with which employees in the automotive industry would be rewarded for their self-sacrificing work with which they had “kept the industry running”.
For the first time, employees at the so-called “Big Three” of the US auto industry – General Motors, Ford and Stellantis with the Chrysler brand – went on strike at the same time. The work stoppages began in mid-September and were expanded several times by the UAW, with up to 45,000 employees taking part.
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