Gary Jones, the president of the United Autoworkers (UAW), recently warned that new walkouts could occur at any time as the UAW continues their strike against the largest automakers in the United States.
The UAW’s nationwide strike has been ongoing since September 15th and has resulted in a massive financial burden on the three largest automakers in the country: General Motors, Ford, and Fiat Chrysler. Despite three weeks of negotiations, the UAW and the automakers have yet to reach an agreement, and it appears as though the strike will continue until a new deal is set in place.
This past Sunday, Jones issued a statement in which he reassured the striking workers, “We will not back down, and we are prepared to fight until our demands are met. We will not accept a bad deal and if that is what is on the table, new walkouts could happen at any time.”
The UAW is pushing for affordable health care, better wages, and increased job security, while the automakers are claiming that they cannot afford to make all the changes that the UAW is requesting. The automakers have proposed switching to a “percentage” based bonus structure that would tie worker’s wages directly to the amount of vehicles built by the company. However, the UAW has rejected this proposal, claiming that it would hurt job security and limit career advancement.
For now, the UAW and the automakers continue to be at a stalemate, which has forced even more uncertainty into the automotive market. While no one knows for certain when the strike might end, it is important that all parties come to an agreement soon in order to avoid any potential new walkouts. Until then, the UAW will continue fighting for the rights of its workers and pushing for a better deal from the automakers.