UAW's Strike Is Expanding To Even More Plants This Week

The latest strikes at General Motors and Stellantis bring the total number of United Auto Workers members on strike to some 46,000.

by Keith Brower Brown, In These Times

General Motors CEO Mary Barra started her day boasting to company investors how much car sales and revenues have recently climbed.

Two hours later, the United Auto Workers (UAW) reminded her who made those revenues happen. The UAW struck GM’s most profitable plant, the massive Arlington Assembly, just outside Dallas.

UAW Strikers with signs in front of General Motors Headquarters, Downtown Detroit

On grounds stretching across 250 acres, the 5,000 workers at Arlington make every GM model of full-size SUV, like the Tahoe and Escalade. According to an industry analyst at Benchmark, it’s “the most profitable auto plant in the world,” producing about 30% of GM revenue.

They join 6,800 workers at the top Stellantis moneymaker, Sterling Heights Assembly near Detroit, who struck their plant yesterday. Of the 146,000 Big Three UAW members fighting for a contract, about 46,000 are now on strike.