Will US face the biggest auto strikes from September 15? Understanding the demands of United Auto Workers

economictimes.indiatimes.com:

biggest auto strike in generations," approximately 150,000 autoworkers at Ford, Stellantis, and General Motors are poised to stage a walkout at 11:59 pm on September 14th if tentative agreements for new union contracts remain elusive.

A String of Significant Strikes

This potential strike is part of a recent surge in significant strikes or strike threats across various industries in the United States, involving UPS workers, TV and movie production writers and actors, and hotel workers. The implications of such a strike extend beyond the auto industry, casting a shadow over the U.S. economy.

The Motive Behind the Strike

The United Auto Workers (UAW) asserts that autoworkers have not received full compensation for the concessions they made following the 2008-09 financial crisis, during which they agreed to numerous cuts to salvage the industry. In contrast, automakers reaped massive bailouts and quickly rebounded to record profits.

Workers are demanding several key provisions, including at least a 40% wage increase over four years, the elimination of two-tier wage systems, improved benefits for retirees, a return to defined pensions instead of 401(k)s, reinstatement of cost-of-living adjustments, a reduced 32-hour workweek, job security guarantees, and protections for workers affected by plant closures.

The New UAW Leadership

The election of Shawn Fain as the president of the United Auto Workers marked a shift in the union's approach, particularly in bargaining with automakers. Workers are seeking to regain the concessions they made during auto bankruptcies amid the 2008 economic recession and claim their share of the quarter of a trillion dollars in profit generated by the big three automakers in the last decade.

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