Major Union Hurls New Accusations At Automakers As Strike Date Nears
A major auto union said Thursday that it has filed two complaints with the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in negotiations with the Big Three automakers, claiming they are refusing to bargain in good faith.
The United Auto Workers (UAW) is in the midst of negotiations with the Big Three automakers—Ford, General Motors and Stellantis—over employment contracts for unionized workers that are set to expire on Sept. 14. Shawn Fain, the UAW’s president, revealed that the union had filed complaints with the NLRB alleging unfair labor practices by GM and Stellanis for allegedly refusing to bargain in good faith, according to a livestream from the UAW.
“We are now 14 days out from our contract expiration, and both General Motors and Stellantis have failed to give us any economic counters,” Shawn Fain said in the livestream. “GM and Stellantis’ willful refusal to bargain in good faith is not only insulting and counterproductive, it’s also illegal. That’s why today our union filed unfair labor practice charges, or ULPs, against both GM and Stellantis with the National Labor Relations Board.”
The union overwhelmingly voted to authorize a strike on Aug. 25 against the Big Three if their demands for higher wages, defined benefit pensions, retiree health care, the elimination of wage tiers and more are not met. The vote means that the 150,000 UAW workers at the Big Three can strike at any moment if negotiations sour, with the total estimated economic damage for just ten days of striking being calculated at $5.6 billion.
“Stellantis has not received the filing, but is shocked by Mr. Fain’s claims that we have not bargained in good faith,” Stellantis said in a statement to the Daily Caller News Foundation. “This is a claim with no basis in fact, and we are disappointed to learn that Mr. Fain is more focused on filing frivolous legal charges than on actual bargaining. We will vigorously defend this charge when the time comes, but right now we are more focused on continuing to bargain in good faith for a new agreement.”
“We are surprised by and strongly refute the NLRB charge filed by the International UAW,” Gerald Johnson, executive vice president of global manufacturing at GM, said in a statement given to the DCNF. “We believe it has no merit and is an insult to the bargaining committees. We have been hyper-focused on negotiating directly and in good faith with the UAW and are making progress. The pace of negotiations is based on how quickly both parties resolve nearly 1,000 UAW demands, including more than 90 presented this week. Our goal remains the same – to achieve an agreement without a disruption that rewards our team members and protects the future of the entire GM team.”
The UAW did not immediately respond to a request to comment from the DCNF.
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