United Auto Workers Strike a Blow for Equality - The New York Times
New York TimesOct 30, 2023
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union reportedly struck a tentative agreement with General Motors on Monday, suggesting it has now agreed to pending deals with Detroit's Big Three automakers.
The deal — which comes after the UAW announced similar agreements with Stellantis and Ford last week — is set to end a strike that began on Sept. 15, with 13K union members walking off the job after their contracts expired.
The UAW's push for labor rights and fair pay has resulted in success, having achieved record pay increases and benefits as part of its agreements with Detroit's Big Three. Labor rights and general economic equality have been on a staggering decline in the US, and hopefully, this win for workers can be a beacon of hope for the future of employment rights. The UAW's strike has worked, and it should serve as a starting point for all labor movements.
Union members have squeezed auto manufacturers for everything they have, and the UAW strike will cripple Detroit's auto industry. It's understandable for workers to demand better wages and benefits, but the UAW deals come with a ridiculously high pay increase. This may be a short-term win for workers, but with labor costs up and share prices down, it's only a matter of time before the workers feel the same pain that the automakers are feeling right now.
There's a 50% chance that at least 447K workers will go on strike as part of major work stoppages in the US in 2023, according to the Metaculus prediction community.