A United Auto Workers (UAW) strike that began 15 September at three facilities is starting have ripple effects at other sites for US automakers Ford and General Motors (GM).
The UAW strike at the final assembly and paint departments of Ford's Wayne, Michigan, assembly plant has lead the company to lay off 600 workers at the body construction department and south sub-assembly area of the plant, which is located outside of Detroit. Those jobs rely on painted parts from the plant's struck paint department. The Michigan facility produces the Ranger midsize pickup truck and the Bronco SUV.
On 15 September GM sent a message to employees at its Fairfax assembly plant in Kansas warning that the sedan and SUV plant may run out of parts as soon as the coming week. Fairfax relies on metal stampings supplied from GM's van and midsize pickup truck Wentzville assembly in Missouri, which also went on strike Friday.
If Fairfax is idled it would lead to the layoff of 2,000 employees, GM said in an emailed statement.
Stellantis, the third automaker being struck, said only the Toledo, Ohio, SUV and truck plant the UAW is striking is being affected.
On 16 September Stellantis put out its latest contract proposal, which gives the UAW a 21pc pay increase — up from its previous offer of 17.5pc — but still short of the 40pc in wage increases the UAW has demanded.
UAW president Shawn Fain rejected that offer.
"It's definitely a no-go and we've made that very clear to the companies," Fain said on 17 September on CBS News' "Face the Nation."
Ford and GM have offered the UAW 20pc pay increases.
