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Consider This from NPR

A year after the strike is the UAW still winning?

Consider This from NPR

NPR

Society & Culture, Daily News, News, News Commentary

4.26.2K Ratings

🗓️ 17 September 2024

⏱️ 15 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

A year ago at this time, members of the United Auto Workers Union were feeling powerful and optimistic. The group's new President Shawn Fain had called a historic strike. For the first time, the Union walked out on ALL three big automakers.

It was a bold move that by most measures worked. It ultimately brought Ford, GM and Stellantis much closer to the union's demands for historic raises and new job protections.

The strike's success had people predicting a bigger and more powerful union.

A year on the union is still staring down some major challenges.

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Transcript

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0:00.0

We've been very consistent in our message that September 14th is a deadline not a reference point and we expect all three companies to have that agreement

0:08.0

If they don't then there will be action

0:09.8

United Auto Workers president Sean Fame was talking to

0:13.2

NBC's squawk box last year as a strike deadline closed in on the big three

0:18.9

automakers Ford General Motors and Stellantis, formerly Chrysler.

0:23.2

Oh, Deal, no wheels.

0:25.1

Union Strong!

0:27.1

In a historic move, the UAWA

0:32.0

walked out on all three of the big automakers at the same time, targeting some of their most successful plants.

0:42.0

The union asked for wage increases of $4,000. most successful plants.

0:42.8

The union asked for wage increases of 40% over four years, the return of pensions, and retiree

0:49.5

health care.

0:51.0

Those demands were a long way from where the big three automakers were in those

0:55.4

negotiations. I'm extremely frustrated and disappointed. We don't need to be

0:59.2

on strike right now. That's GM CEO Mary Berra talking to CNBC shortly after the strike was called.

1:05.6

We put a historic offer on the table that not only has very significant gross wage

1:11.7

increases total through the contract, over 20%, that compounded

1:16.2

is 21%. But we also have job security, we maintain world-class health care. There's so many

1:22.3

aspects of the offer we have on

1:24.6

the table that I think really is going to resonate with our employees so we didn't

1:28.3

need to be here. The offer did not resonate with UAW members and they stayed on the picket line for about six weeks

1:36.1

during which time more workers from more plants walked out

...

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