The strike in the auto sector in the United States has now lasted for more than a week and is spreading. The sector union is hardening a conflict which is becoming politicized at the highest level.
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With our correspondent in Washington, Guillaume Naudin
The President of the United States, Joe Biden announces that he will go to Detroit on Tuesday September 26 on a picket strike to support auto workers. “ It’s time for a win-win deal between automakers and the UAW union, he said in a message on X, formerly Twitter.
Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create.
It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.
— President Biden (@POTUS) September 22, 2023
The 80-year-old Democratic president has already, several times, publicly estimated that manufacturers should pass on their “employees” to their employees. record profits “. Joe Biden responds to the invitation from the boss of the sector’s union, the UAW. Shawn Fain explains, however, that Donald Trump will not be welcome there. The former Republican president is announced in Michigan on Wednesday.
18,000 workers stopped work
The union hardens its movement and shuts down 38 additional facilities in around twenty American states, facilities which distribute spare parts. Two manufacturers are affected by this extension: General Motors, which denounces political motivations, and Stellantis. According to Shawn Fain, the two giants have not sufficiently improved their proposals, particularly in terms of salary. On the other hand, Ford is credited with a good point and is spared from this boost. However, its assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan, remains blocked by striking unionists pending the conclusion of negotiations.
There are now around 18,000 workers out of around 150,000 union members who have stopped work. Manufacturers have also made several thousand employees unemployed due to the consequences of the strike on work organization.
At this stage, the economic impact has been limited, but the extension of the movement at Stellantis and General Motors risks having greater repercussions, because these centers supply garages and dealers with spare parts for vehicles already sold, therefore affecting directly to the general public. And “ they generate significant profits, particularly for Stellantis “, noted Shawn Fain on the CNBC channel, adding that the union was considering “ many actions » possible for the future.
Read alsoUnited States: strike in the automobile sector becomes politicized