The U.S. auto industry strike looks like it’s over, but it’s not. After the United Auto Workers (UAW) reached a record wage increase contract with the three major auto companies, workers' distrust of enterprises has revived the risk of strikes.As of Tuesday, 25,000 Ford workers, 6,500 Stellantis workers and 16,000 General Motors workers had voted on the new labor contract. Overall, the number of supporters is higher than the number of opponents.
But the danger is that because the union represents all factories, it may re-enter strike negotiations if the overall vote at one factory fails to approve a new contract.
At present, Ford's Lakeland HVC plant and its largest factory, the Kentucky Truck Plant, as well as General Motors's Flint Truck Plant, Pontiac Stamping Plant, Tonawanda Engine Plant, Marion Metal Center and Spring Hill Manufacturing Plant, all received more than half of the votes against in this round of voting.
The final voting results will need to be tallied by the end of this week, but many observers are already worried.
Many opponents
Jenn Thompson, a Ford Kentucky plant worker, said the union gained a lot from the new contract, but some of the things he wanted to see didn't happen, such as health insurance for retirees.
In the new contract, auto workers will receive an overall 25% salary increase in 2027. With living cost subsidies and increases in pension contributions, actual wages will increase by about 30%.
Yet no automaker is willing to provide the pensions and retiree health care workers demand. And according to estimates, it will not be until 2027 that the wages of workers at the three major automakers will reach the 2007 level after adjusting for inflation.
A number of workers who voiced their opinions online complained that the contract did not do enough to help senior staff whose pay was slashed in 2007, while others blamed a lack of security for retirees. These opponents prompted workers to continue to oppose the agreement in subsequent votes.
Even in the Stellantis factory, which is doing well, many workers are pessimistic. Jerry Coleman, a temporary worker who has worked at Stellantis since 2018, said he opposed the new contract.
He pointed out that after reading the contract, he did not believe Stellantis would fulfill its promise to convert temporary employees like him into permanent employees. He said that even if he voted ten times, he would vote against it every time.
In this regard, UAW Chairman Shawn Fain has repeatedly emphasized that the new contract is already a record contract and a major victory for the workers. But he also acknowledged that the final decision can only be made by the workers themselves.
At a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Fein tried to reassure the media that the early results of the vote were still very favorable. However, judging from the UAW voting statistics, the "thornheads" are breaking the calm period after the previous agreement was reached.