Solidarity rally with UAW workers to be held in Plymouth on Tuesday
At 8 a.m. Tuesday, members from different unions across Minnesota will join the picket lines at the Stellantis Parts Distribution Center in Plymouth for a solidarity rally with members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) union.
This comes on the same day President Joe Biden is expected to join United Auto Workers on the picket line in Detroit, what many believe is a first for a sitting president in recent history.
Negotiations remain at a standstill for union workers, and as time goes on without a resolution, more workers are leaving the assembly lines for the picket lines. So far, 13% of the union’s 46,000 members are striking.
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Currently, the UAW is continuing to strike at Ford’s assembly plant in Michigan, however, UAW officials say they’re not expanding to other Ford locations because of “substantial progress in negotiations over the last week.”
UAW President Shawn Fain said, “We’re not there yet, but I want you to see the direction that Ford is going.”
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The Associated Press reports workers at Ford of Canada have ratified a new deal that raises base hourly pay for production workers by almost 20% over three years, and by more than 25% for trade workers. It also gives permanent workers a $10,000 bonus and adds a cost-of-living adjustment, a mechanism that adjusts wages in line with inflation.
Ford described the pact as a 15% wage increase over the three-year life of the agreement. But, according to the union, that figure doesn’t include compounding of each annual increase or the initial cost-of-living increase, both of which should increase workers’ actual pay.
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However, the union says talks with GM and Stellantis are a different story.
Among the union’s demands are 36% raises over the next four years, as well as a 32-hour week with 40 hours of pay.
Union officials add the big three auto companies can more than afford the union’s asks, pointing to CEO pay raises and the major profits the three companies have raked in over the years.
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As first reported by 5 EYEWITNESS NEWS, workers at the Plymouth facility joined the nationwide strike on Friday, saying they intend to stay to continue their 24/7 efforts until they get the fair contract they deserve.
“There comes a point when you have to draw a line in the sand and these companies don’t want to meet us,” said Steve Frisque, the president of UAW Local 722.
“The toughest part about this situation is we don’t know how long it could go on for,” added Alex Tivis, a member of UAW Local 125.
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The Associated Press contributed to this report.