“Big Three Plants in Nationwide Strike: Autoworkers Demand Change!

A little over a week ago, autoworkers at plants owned by three of the largest automakers in the United States, known as the ‘Big Three,’ have gone on strike in an effort to secure better wages, benefits, and improved working conditions. The Big Three include General Motors, Ford Motor Company and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles. The workers, which consist of over 28,000 members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, are holding out for a pay raise and increased job security. The UAW is also seeking a greater role in decision-making in areas such as job postings and outsourcing. On the first day of the strike, picket lines were set up at locations in Michigan, Missouri, Ohio, New York, Arizona, Illinois and Indiana. Workers from other automobiles plants have also joined the strike, including those belonging to Tesla and the Volkswagen group. The union had negotiated a four-year contract with the Big Three in 2015, which provided workers with some of the biggest raises they’d seen over a decade. However, in the past four years, the automakers’ profits have increased significantly, leading autoworkers to believe they’d been shortchanged. The strike is expected to last several days, with union leaders warning of a potentially long-term action if the companies fail to meet their demands. It has potential to negatively effect the supply chain, resulting in delays and production shutdowns at some plants. The strike has brought back memories of a six-week long strike in 1978, which resulted in the closure of 74 assembly plants and was the longest in the history of the automotive industry. It finally ended when the UAW and the Big Three reached a tentative agreement after two months of negotiations. The current strike days may be a sign of things to come, as the three major automakers look to protect their bottom line while workers strive for better wages and working conditions. It’s an especially delicate situation as UAW and the Big Three face a looming deadline in bargaining an agreement by the end of the week.