In the United States, a preliminary agreement ended a six-week strike involving auto giant General Motors and the UAW auto union. This historic agreement, announced on Monday October 30, comes a few days after its competitors Ford and Stellantis were also affected by a similar strike since mid-September.
The President of the United States, Joe Biden, immediately welcomed these social agreements described as “historic” between the UAW union and the three main players in the American automobile industry: General Motors, Stellantis and Ford.
These agreements are the result of several weeks of negotiations and sacrifices made by workers in the sector, who played a crucial role in keeping the automobile industry afloat, particularly during the great economic crisis of 2009, according to the American president.
The strike began on September 15 due to the lack of agreement during the revision of collective agreements. It mobilized more than 45,000 of the 146,000 UAW members employed by these three American automobile giants. It is the first time since the creation of the union in 1935 that the "Big Three" have been simultaneously affected by a strike of this magnitude, which intensified over the six weeks of conflict.
After initiating walkouts at secondary plants and parts distribution centers, the UAW struck hard by targeting the largest and most profitable plants of each auto company based in Detroit, Michigan. Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant, generating annual sales of $25 billion, was hit by the strike on October 11. The manufacturer finally reached a preliminary agreement on October 25, after 41 days of strike, followed by Stellantis (Chrysler, Jeep, etc.) three days later.
Shawn Fain, president of the UAW, was pleased with the results of the negotiations, saying: “Ford put on the table 50% more than when we walked out. Once again, we have achieved what we were told was impossible just a few weeks ago. » Salary increases over four years, cost-of-living adjustments, social benefits, improvements for retirees, and measures specific to each group are part of the preliminary agreements.
Stellantis has committed to creating 5,000 jobs, a major move given previous planned job cuts, including controversy over the closure of a factory in Belvidere, Illinois, which was ultimately averted . The agreement with Stellantis also calls for a 25% increase in base salaries by 2028.
Ford also agreed to a 25% increase in base salaries, a compromise below the 40% initially requested by Shawn Fain at the start. of the strike, but significantly higher than the 9% proposed by the group in August.
These preliminary agreements will still have to be validated by a national committee of the union before being put to a vote by members, a step which could take up to two weeks, according to a source close to the negotiations last week.
However, the union has already announced that Ford and Stellantis employees will return to work immediately, without waiting for these votes.
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