USA, Auto Strike Spreads To Ford’s Largest Plant

The United Auto Workers (UAW) strike is expanding to include Ford’s most important plant. Protests began on September 15 with the participation of employees of some Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis plants.

The union now unexpectedly went on strike also at the plant in Louisville, Kentucky, Ford’s central plant in terms of both employee numbers (8,700 UAW members) and turnover. In fact, some of the most popular and profitable models such as pickup trucks and SUVs are manufactured here.

Ford has refused to negotiate any further, according to the union, which is trying to put pressure on the Big Three in Detroit and is already threatening strikes at other plants. For a historic American company, the UAW’s behavior is “irresponsible.” On the other hand, pressure also came from manufacturers, who cut 500 jobs in early October.

According to Reuters, automakers have more than doubled their initial proposals to raise wages and agreed to adjust wages for inflation. In any case, negotiations continue, with the union demanding further increases, the abolition of the two-tier wage system, and the unionization of battery factories.