Negotiations Continue Between UAW and Major US Automakers

On Thursday, Negotiations on a new contract continued between the United Auto Workers (UAW) and the Big Three U.S. automakers as the UAW's strike against the three automakers entered the seventh day.

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Only one day is left as the union set Friday as the deadline for sending more workers and plants to strike if no "serious progress" is made. UAW President Shawn Fain will host a Facebook live event on Friday when he is expected to call on members at other plants to "stand up" and strike.

Currently, 12,700 workers at Ford Motor Co.'s Wayne Assembly Plant in the state of Michigan, General Motors Co.'s Wentzville Assembly in the state of Missouri and Stellantis NV's Toledo Jeep plant in the state of Ohio are on strike. Negotiations continue, so does the quarrel among top management of the UAW and the three U.S. automakers.

Responding to an opinion piece by GM President Mark Reuss published on Wednesday in a local media outlet, UAW Vice President Mike Booth, also director of the union's GM department, Thursday produced his opinion piece in the same media.

"Temporary workers start at 16.67 dollars an hour. Once a temporary worker actually gets a permanent job, the starting wage is 18 dollars an hour. I don't know what qualifies as 'poverty wages,' but show me a Big Three executive who would work for that pay," Booth writes.

The union wants to see workers become permanent employees at the top rate after 90 days. It also wants to restore pensions for all and retiree healthcare plans.

While there has been "some progress" at the bargaining table in eliminating the divisive tiers system, everyone knows the core "tier" at the Big Three is the tier created in 2007, when workers lost their pensions and post-retirement healthcare. "GM is not addressing that," the Detroit News quoted Booth in his opinion piece.