With strike looming, General Motors makes wage offer, which auto union leader calls 'insulting'

abcnews.go.com:

General Motors made its first wage-and-benefit offer to the United Auto Workers that falls far short of the union’s initial demands

DETROIT — General Motors' first wage-and-benefit offer to the United Auto Workers on Thursday fell far short of the union's initial demands.

The offer comes just a week before the UAW's national contracts with GM, Stellantis and Ford expire, and even though both sides are far apart, it's a sign of movement on economic issues.

Still, union President Shawn Fain called the offer “insulting." He is threatening to strike against any automaker that hasn't reached a tentative agreement by the time contracts expire at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14. A strike against one or more automakers by up to 146,000 auto workers is a real possibility.

GM said in a letter to workers that it's offering a 10% wage increase during a new four-year contract, plus two more 3% one-time payments. It's also offering a $6,000 inflation payment, $5,000 more in lump sums to protect against inflation during the contract, and a $5,000 contract ratification bonus. The company wouldn't say when the pay raises or most of the lump sums would be effective.

The wage offer is slightly better than one from Ford that was rejected by the union last week. Its reliance on lump-sum payments rather than annual pay raises is contrary to what Fain has been seeking.

Last week the UAW filed unfair labor practices complaints against GM and Stellantis with the National Labor Relations Board. At the time, though, neither company had made a counterproposal to the union's economic demands.

The union, citing large company profits over the last decade and CEO pay raises, is seeking 46% across-the-board pay raises over four years, a 32-hour week with 40