The labor front remains active today, with developments at both General Dynamics and GM. United Auto Workers (UAW) members at General Dynamics have indicated their willingness to go on strike if necessary, while GM in Canada has reached a tentative deal with Unifor members.
At General Dynamics, UAW members voted to authorize a strike in case a new deal is not reached by the contract expiration deadline. The company employs around 1,100 UAW members at plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Pennsylvania. If a strike were to occur, these workers would join the approximately 4,400 striking Mack Trucks workers who are not part of the UAW’s Big Three stand up strikes.
In Canada, GM has reached a tentative agreement with Unifor after a brief strike. The deal is similar to the one reached with Ford, with workers receiving pay raises, the reactivation of COLA benefits, a reduced wage progression period, and other concessions.
Meanwhile, the UAW is concerned about the expansion of battery production. The union sees new battery and joint-venture gigafactories as a potential threat if workers at those plants are unable to unionize. Stellantis recently announced plans to invest over $3.2 billion in a new battery plant in Kokomo, Indiana. This will be the second “StarPlus” gigafactory in the area, expected to employ 1,400 workers and begin production in 2027.
UAW president Shawn Fain is expected to provide an update on the ongoing strike this Friday, likely focusing on Stellantis’s battery plant expansion.
