But on Sunday morning, UAW President Shawn Fine said Stellandis’ 21 percent offer and other terms offered by the automakers were insufficient and the strike would continue.
“It’s definitely not,” Fine said on CBS’ “Face the Nation.” “We asked for a 40 percent pay hike. And the reason we asked for a 40 percent pay rise is that CEO pay has gone up 40 percent in the last four years alone.
About 12,700 UAW members, or 8 percent of the union’s auto workers, went on strike Friday. Demand higher wages and more equal treatment and benefits for temporary workers who have lagged behind full-time employees for years. This is the first time the UAW has gone on strike against three of America’s largest automakers at the same time.
The strike comes as unemployment in the United States is at historic lows, but the fallout from the pandemic and high inflation have heightened workers’ concerns. Autoworkers are experiencing a broad resurgence in union activity in the U.S. as companies continue to increase profits and executive pay, and workers from nurses to Hollywood scriptwriters and actors seek better wages and job security.
Although the UAW strike only affects a handful of plants, Fein said the union “does what we have to do” and is willing to expand the walkouts. “If we don’t get better deals and if we don’t get down to looking after the needs of members, we’re going to escalate this thing,” Fine said.
