UAW, Detroit Three in standoff as a wider strike looms
By David Shepardson and Joseph White
DETROIT (Reuters) -Detroit's Big Three automakers and the United Auto Workers remained far apart on Wednesday, less than 48 hours before the union's deadline to make significant progress or escalate a strike with a new round of work stoppages.
Talks were ongoing between union representatives and company management in the sixth day, a day after Ford (NYSE:F) averted a walkout by Canadian workers.
The UAW launched a strike against Ford, General Motors (NYSE:GM) and Chrysler parent Stellantis (NYSE:STLA) last week, targeting one U.S. assembly plant at each company. Those strikes have halted production at plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri that produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, alongside other popular models.
The UAW has said it will announce strikes against more U.S. plants on Friday if no serious progress is made in talks with automakers by noon EDT (1600 GMT) on that day.
Detroit automakers have been increasingly outspoken in rejecting the UAW demands and public statements. GM President Mark Reuss said in an opinion piece published in the Detroit Free Press on Wednesday that «the UAW's demands can be described in one word — untenable.»
Approximately 12,700 workers are on strike as a result of the UAW's coordinated U.S. action out of the union's 146,000 members who work at the Big Three.
“We’re not playing. We’re serious about this,” said Victor Holloway, 24, of Westland, Michigan, who has worked at the Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, since 2021.
GM is expected to announce the idling this week of its Kansas car plant because of the impact of the nearby Missouri strike.
Ford reached a last-minute deal to avoid a walkout at its Canadian operations late on
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