UAW President Fain announces strike vote plans at Stellantis

United Auto Workers union President Shawn Fain said Tuesday the union plans to hold strike authorization votes against Stellantis because the automaker is failing to live up to guarantees it made in the 2023 labor deal it reached with the union at the conclusion of a six-week strike.

In a speech to members Tuesday night, Fain said the union is prepared to hold strike authorization votes at one or more locals that represent Stellantis workers and to have those workers go on strike if the company does not meet union demands.

During the livestreamed speech, Fain said that the union would be “holding strike authorization votes at one or more Stellantis locals. And we will stand united to enforce our contract and save American jobs.”

Strike votes are common when a contract is nearing an end and negotiations on a new deal are beginning. In the past, the union agreed not to strike during the life of a contract. But the union won the right in the 2023 agreements with Stellantis, General Motors and Ford to strike during the contact if there were plant closings or other violations of job protections.

This strike, if it takes place, would be unprecedented.

“We are 100% within our rights and within our power to take strike action if necessary,” he said. “We are prepared to take strike action to make Stellantis keep the promise.”

Stellantis, which makes vehicles in North America under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands, had 43,000 UAW members nationwide at 19 operating manufacturing facilities at the time of last year’s strike. It is possible, since only some locals will be holding strike authorization votes, that only some plants will be struck. But even a limited strike could affect operations at other Stellantis facilities.

Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Fain’s statement Tuesday.

Asked Monday about an unfair labor practice charge by the UAW, Stellantis said it had yet to see the complaint and couldn’t comment directly on it. But in an emailed statementthe company said: “The company has not violated the commitments made in the … 2023 UAW collective bargaining agreement.”

“Like all of our competitors, Stellantis is attempting to carefully manage how and when we bring new vehicles to market with a focus on enhancing our competitiveness and ensuring our future sustainability and growth,” the company said Monday. “We will communicate our plans to the UAW at the appropriate time.”

But Fain blasted that statement from Stellantis.

“We aren’t the problem. The market isn’t the problem. (Stellantis CEO) Carlos Tavares is the problem,” he said.

This is a developing story. It will be updated.