mmarshall

With all the other problems Stellantis is facing, now a possible UAW strike looms at the Belvidere, IL plant. I've already got a Car Chat thread going on the possible Stellantis reorganization, but this is more or less a separate issue, so I made it a new thread.

Those of you who have followed my posts over the years known that, in general, for several reasons, I usually support the UAW (and other auto-worker unions abroad)...........but the specific motives for this particular strike seem to be unclear and not well-explained by the union staff, so I'll hold off further comment on it for now until they become more clear.





https://uk.finance.yahoo.com/news/ua...Lil7TDCMptFmm6

UAW workers at Stellantis could strike over Illinois plant reopening

David Shepardson
Updated Mon, 19 Aug 2024

2-min read

In This Article:

• STLAM.MI-2.76%

By David Shepardson

(Reuters) -The United Auto Workers union said on Monday some local units representing workers at Stellantis are preparing to file grievances and could launch a nationwide strike, accusing the automaker of not honoring production commitments.

The UAW said the locals represent tens of thousands of workers and the dispute is over agreements the union said Stellantis made in 2023 as part of a new labor agreement.

Chrysler-parent Stellantis agreed to build a new $3.2 billion battery plant and invest $1.5 billion in a new mid-size truck factory in Belvidere, Illinois and add 5,000 total U.S. jobs by 2028 as part of a new contract deal, the UAW said in November 2023.

Stellantis did not immediately respond to requests for comment. The UAW said the automaker would not launch the Illinois investments on the previously agreed timetable, without specifying the dates.

Last month, the U.S. Energy Department said it planned to award Stellantis $334.8 million to convert the shuttered Belvidere Assembly plant to build EVs and $250 million to convert its Indiana Transmission Plant in Kokomo to produce EV components.

The UAW said since 2023 "the company has gone back on its product commitments at Belvidere, and has been unreceptive in talks with the union to stay on track." The UAW added "this glaring violation of the contract imperils all of the other investment commitments the company has made."

UAW President Shawn Fain referred to the issue during a prime-time address at the Democratic National Convention on Monday night."Let me be clear: Stellantis must keep the promises they made to America and our union contract. And the UAW will take whatever action necessary at Stellantis or any other corporation to stand up and hold corporate America accountable," he said.

Earlier this month, Stellantis said it was laying off as many as 2,450 factory workers from its Warren Truck assembly plant outside of Detroit as the automaker ends production of the Ram 1500 Classic truck.

Stellantis said last month it was offering a new round of voluntary buyouts to its U.S. salaried workers, the latest in a series of cost-cutting measures CEO Carlos Tavares is implementing at the company's American operations.

Striker223

lol. These workers will be in for a shock when all US production stops and everything is just imported from Mexican or euro factories

Margate330

Yep.
Also known as a wake up call. Lol

Striker223

Yep, unions are funny as hell to me as well in this day and age......poor workers are held up and to be allowed the privilege to work they must pay overlords with part of their money for supposed protections that do nothing but enrich the union and make deals that further screw the workers. Absolutely pointless.

mmarshall

Nope. Too many potential sales here at home will be lost if that happens....and the companies will also suffer. While there are, admittedly, some vehicle-buyers in the U.S. that don't care where the vehicle is made, and don't check the window-price-sticker for the final assembly-plant, many others simply will not purchase or lease something that is not either built here in the U.S. (preferably with union workers) or built overseas with union workers, like in South Korean plants. That is one reason (among many) why I choose a Buick Encore GX over the Envision.....the American-spec GX is built in Korea, with union-employees, while all Envisions come from China.

LeX2K

Top 12 American made by content has only one American brand or maybe two if you count Jeep which is questionable.

https://www.cars.com/american-made-index/

Striker223

This is a global market now, if you want American made buy a Toyota, Honda, or Mercedes/BMW/Audi SUV since they are actually made here. The owner of the company doesn't matter much anymore, if you actually care about buying something that contributes to American workers then stop supporting unions and buying for nameplate vs buying for where it's actually made.

LeX2K

Not just where the vehicles are made but where the OEM parts are sourced from, suppliers employ many many people it's not just about on the floor factory workers.

mmarshall

I agree it is a global industry (perhaps too much so), but American customers still have the power to decide which products they will buy or not buy.

Striker223

And for the most part they ARE buying cars that are made here.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

inquiring minds want to know, will the uaw take action before or after shawn fain goes to prison for crimes?

i'd be surprised if more than 5% of new car buyers care at all where their car is made.

also, if you want to buy an suv made with american labor, a bmw would be a good choice.

mmarshall

I'm not getting too deeply into politics here, but unions have always had some bad apples in them....just like buisness and corporations. Look at what happened at Mitsubishi with the Diamond-Star plant, VW and Dieselgate, Renault/Nissan with Carlos Ghosn, and even Toyota in some cases. That is no reason to them not to exist.



I don't have any cold hard numbers because they generally don't poll questions like that, but I can go by just the number of persons I have talked to and dealt with.

For me and my specific driving needs and wants, the Encore GX was probably the best choice of all. It is built by GM of Korea, but in a unionized plant. Also, in general, although I could afford one if I wanted it, most BMWs cost more than I care to spend on new wheels...and they are, IMO, not a terribly good value for what you spend.