The UAW has stepped up its strikes by targeting Stellantis and GM parts distribution centers (PDCs), while leaving its initial Ford strike in place. The move reinforces the idea that the UAW is making more progress with Ford than with GM or Stellantis.
Image of parts warehouse from the company’s remanufactured parts group.
38 GM and Stellantis PDCs are affected, with around 5,600 employees combined. 12,700 workers are already on strike at all three companies. Ford was not targeted because it has already agreed to boost profit sharing, shift temporary employees with 90 days of experience at the time of the deal to full-time status (a one-time event), and let workers strike over plant closures.
The UAW’s move may result in the shutdown of assembly plants, but it might only affect dealerships’ ability to get parts from Mopar. Stellantis has already refused to consider these to be normal layoffs, where workers would get some percentage of their ordinary compensation, at parts plants affected by the Toledo strike.
In reporting the news, one national radio program’s correspondent claimed that Mopar was “just about dead anyway,” listing “Mopar” cars as being just Chrysler and Dodge. He was eventually corrected that it included Jeep and Ram, but none of the reporting team appeared to realize that both Chrysler and Dodge have new product slated for next year.
The union’s most public argument with Stellantis regards hourly wages, which with a proposed 20% increase over five years would not keep up with projected inflation. The union accepted concessions as recently as 2017, to bring Chrysler back to life. However, the company’s plan to shut down numerous facilities, presumably replacing production with European and Mexican plants and simple cutbacks in parts warehouses (some of which were built when speeding parts to dealers was a priority), may prove to be a greater sticking point.