MILWAUKEE, WI(WTAQ-WLUK) — As the clock struck 11 a.m. Friday, employees at 38 auto plants across 20 states banded together in the continuation of a historic United Auto Workers (UAW) union strike — including two facilities in Wisconsin.
Workers from the General Motors (GM) parts distribution center in Hudson, located in St. Croix County near the Minnesota border, joined the strike.
Additionally, workers are picketing outside of the Stellantis MOPAR parts center in Bayview, a neighborhood of Milwaukee.
The facilities are represented by UAW Local 722 and UAW Local 75, respectively.
UAW’s nation-wide strikes against the “Big Three” Detroit automakers — Ford, GM and Stellantis — began when the union’s existing contract with the companies expired at midnight on Sept. 14.
The strike began with 13,000 workers walking out of three plants, but as union leadership warned would happen, more locations have since joined due to no significant progress being made in contract negotiations.
Stephanie Bloomingdale, president of Wisconsin’s American Federation of Labor and Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) released the following statement:
“We stand in absolute solidarity with UAW Local 722 members in Hudson and UAW Local 75 members in Bay View as they take brave strike action to protect and preserve the future of our American middle class. The UAW Stand Up Strike is about standing up to corporate greed and ensuring good wages and decent benefits for all American workers. The Big Three have made a quarter-trillion dollars in profits in the past decade. Automakers can more than afford to increase workers’ wages, end tiers, and ensure job security so that jobs in the auto industry are good, family-sustaining jobs that build our middle class. UAW members are fighting for all of us. Workers are striking for what we all deserve: fair pay, safety, job security and a retirement with dignity. When working people stand together, united by justice and dignity and a righteous cause, we have the collective power to demand respect and fairness on the job.”
Pointing to massive company profits and CEO pay raises, the UAW is asking for employee raises and better benefits.
The “Big Three” said they cannot afford to meet the union’s demands, however, because profits must be invested to ease the costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
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