Locals to decide on strike authorization against Stellantis by end of October
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No one wants to go on strike. The leadership of the United Auto Workers made that clear this week as they spoke to the membership of Locals 1166, 685, and 1302. But it may be necessary, they say, to force automaker Stellantis to adhere to contractual language established last year.
UAW Local 1166 held a rally on Oct. 21 with the new StarPlus Energy EV battery plant in the background, encouraging union members to authorize the international union to call a strike so the wins gained at the bargaining table in 2023 are not lost.
At issue is a raft-load of investments and continued or renewed work promised by Stellantis in the agreement with the UAW. Currently, the company is balking at fulfilling its contractual obligations, claiming economic conditions are prohibitive. At the same time, Stellantis announced plans to end the Ram 1500 pick-up truck line and relocate production of the Dodge Durango to Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
This departure from the agreement has the UAW ready to fight, but the union needs its members behind it to be effective. Dozens of UAW members, along with labor members from other unions operating in Kokomo and concerned citizens gathered at the rally to hear the union’s plea: “Keep the Promise.”
“It really wasn't a promise,” said Phil Beckner, vice president of UAW Local 1166. “This is contractually negotiated language. This is stuff we fought for and negotiated and won at the bargaining table that they're not wanting to follow through with. So, we have to get them to follow through.
“I know that my Local 1166 is going to do a strike authorization vote Friday, and I've had a lot of people say, ‘Why do we want to do this? It's terrible timing.’ You have to give your administration the tools. Nobody wants a strike. It's not great for anybody. But you've got to give them the opportunity to say, ‘Either you take care of us, or we will strike.’”
Beckner, along with many of the speakers at the rally, acknowledged the risk and the pain that can come with a strike. But they all reiterated that it is a vital bargaining chip that can be effective in forcing Stellantis to adhere to the contract.
“It's so that we can tell them we're serious,” said Beckner. “You guys bargained this. You negotiated this. You gave it to us, and you have to follow through.”
Sherman Gray, vice president of UAW Local 1302, explained that his job at Stellantis in the best job he’s ever had, thanks to the gains and benefits the UAW has negotiated over the year. Unfortunately, families in Belvidere, Ill., Warren, Mich., and Yucca, Ariz., no longer can say the same thing. They suffered plant closures and work relocations.
In the current contract, Stellantis agreed to restore work to those communities, but has failed to hit the timelines agreed upon to make that happen.
“It is our duty, not only for us, but for each other and for our brothers and sisters in Belvidere, at Warren, at the Proving Grounds, you name it,” said Gray. “It is our job to stand up. This is a call to arms. This is a call to stand up for what we've been fighting for and what we fought for and been promised.
“I’m here to fight. I'm done with negotiating. We've already negotiated. We've already got the contract. Now I'm calling Stellantis back the table to make sure that they fulfill their word. This is breach of contract.”
Garry Quirk, UAW Local 685 president, underscored the importance of authorizing a strike. He pointed to the former Delco Electronics facilities that no longer exists and the anemic presence maintained by General Motors in Kokomo.
“This is the most important vote that we can make right here,” said Quirk. “We're going to have to show this company we mean business. I get it. There's never a good time to strike. Nobody ever benefits from one. Just because we give the international the authority to strike doesn't mean we're going to.
“You have to give the international the authorization to take this company on. If not, we're going to be standing here just like GM. There used to be 12,000 people working there. Now, we’ve got less than 100. We can't take it anymore. I understand about Christmas and the holidays. I have children and grandchildren, too. People, if we don't have a job, you might as well forget about Christmas and the holidays.”
The UAW also invited Alexandra Durham Daniels to speak at the rally. A candidate for the board of the Kokomo Schools Corp., she was given the support of Hannah Bolinger, recording secretary of UAW Local 1166, and asked to speak on the issues facing the school system.
Daniels Durham expressed her support for the strike authorization and laid out her plans for the school if elected.
“I appreciate everything you do in this community, and let's make (Stellantis) keep their promise,” said Daniels Durham. “What I promise you that I'm going to do is I want to hold everybody accountable for the usage of our tax dollars. Even if you don't have kids or grandkids in the school system, you are paying taxes to the school. It is really important that you have somebody with financial knowledge, which I have, on the board.
“I've been a financial advisor for 15 years, and I also have a degree in economics. You need somebody with financial experience to make sure those tax dollars are going where they say they're going to go, and that they're being used as efficiently and effectively as possible. I want to do that job for you. I want you to know if you elect me, that'll be taken care of so that you can focus on fighting against Stellantis and making sure that they keep their promises to you.”