September 18 – The White House is scheduled to send a negotiation team to Detroit today to try to work out a deal between the automakers and the United Auto Workers after strikes began on Friday.
There were some revised offers made over the weekend, but it still appears as though the UAW and management are pretty far apart.
Today begins day four of the strike on factories in Detroit for General Motors, Ford and Stellantis and the trickle down pain has already started with thousands of people not working.
It looks like the strikes could expand to other factories.
Attorney Clint Barkdoll said, “Other interesting reporting out of the Detroit News is that Trump may be making a visit to the picket lines this week. Remember he won Michigan in 2016. He did have some union support in ‘16 and ‘20. The UAW has not officially endorsed Biden yet, although I’m sure they will, but it will be interesting if Trump does have an event this week with the workers on the picket lines and what kind of a presentation or statement he might have related to this issue.”
Michele Jansen of NewsTalk 103.7FM added, “The head of the union there is looking to extend this strike. I guess 11 weeks is the limit but he’s looking at ways, they’re manipulating the workers so that it might go longer than that, which would be an absolute disaster. But when you look at what automakers in Michigan make, the average salary is $78,000. Now compare that to the average worker salary of $43,000 or in the 40s. They are not underpaid. They’re turning it into a workers versus the rich heads of these companies and their record profits. It’s an old argument about making capitalism look bad, saying the rich versus the poor, but these auto workers are hardly the poor.”
Barkdoll noted, “That pay does not include the benefits. They’re now asking for a 32 hour work week, and some other benefit enhancements. Who knows where that’s all going to shake out? There are local implications of this. Don’t forget we have local UAW shops right here in our listening area. The main one of course, being the Mack Volvo plant in Hagerstown. That’s a huge UAW operation. Frick Company, Johnson Controls right here in Waynesboro, they are a UAW shop. Even though those plants of course are not affected by this UAW auto strike, they will be collateral because you can bet these other UAW shops are closely watching this and whatever these auto workers get, I think the local unions are going to ask for similar pay and benefit enhancements when their contracts expire. So no doubt those local management teams and the local workers are also watching this very closely.”
