GM Agrees to UAW in Battery Plants
Battery plants now to be included in GM master contract says UAW President Fain
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UAW President Shawn Fain today revealed in a live YouTube announcement that General Motors Corporation (GM) has agreed in writing to let its present and planned battery manufacturing facilities in the U.S. be included in the UAW master contract now being negotiated. “It has happened again,” said Fain in the video from Solidarity House in Detroit, “We have had a dramatic breakthrough in negotiations…that’s going to change the future of our union, and the future of our industry.”
The UAW strike, in its 3rd week has seen many contentious exchanges between the union and auto company management. UAW President Fain negotiated aggressively with all of the Big Three management right up until the first walkout on September 15, the first strike in history that involved simultaneous walkouts at Ford, Stellantis and GM.
One of the major points of contention with the UAW in all three negotiations was the heavy investment the American auto industry is making in electric vehicle battery manufacturing. The UAW had claimed that planned new battery plants were concieved as not being unionized.
One such plant is the joint venture in Kokomo of Stellantis and Samsung, Star Energy.
“We have been told that the EV future must be a race to the bottom,” noted Fain. “The plan was to draw down engine and transmission plants and permanently replace them with low-wage battery jobs. We had a different plan.”
GM has an EV battery plant in Warren, Ohio, and is planning other battery plants in Spring Hill, Tennessee, Lansing, Michigan, and New Carlisle, Indiana.
Fain noted there have been no tentative agreements with any of the big three yet, but vowed that UAW negotiators would use the GM battery plant agreement as a pattern to get the same from Stellantis and Ford.
“Our plan is winning at GM, and we expect it to win at Ford, and Stellantis as well.
The UAW had been adding to the list of “Stand-Up” strikes in strategic facilities for each manufacturer every Friday since negotiations started.
So far approximately 25,000 UAW auto workers have walked off the job with over 3000 others laid off because of the work stoppages.
This Friday the union plan was to call a strike at GM Arlington Assembly in Arlington, Texas, where the in demand full-size Chevy Suburban and Cadillac Escalade are made. According to Fain, GM’s last minute EV battery plant agreement has postponed that walkout.
“The company knew that UAW GM workers were ready to stand up and strike,” said Fain. “Today under the threat of a financial hit, they (GM) leapfrogged the pack in terms of a just transition…our strike is working, but we’re not there yet.”