The union this week is holding practice pickets with workers in Detroit and Louisville, Ky. The UAW has raised its weekly strike pay to $500 per member and has more than $825 million in its strike fund.
In 2019, the union struck GM for 40 days, causing production shutdowns that reverberated with dealers and suppliers caught in the crossfire.
The UAW has about 146,000 members at the Detroit 3. Fain has not ruled out going on strike against all three automakers at once. If that were to happen, a 10-day strike would result in more than $5 billion in economic losses, according to an analysis by Anderson Economic Group.
That estimate includes wage losses of $795 million and manufacturer losses of $1.2 billion, plus the financial hit to suppliers, dealers and the auto industry at large.
Fain last week said negotiations with the automakers were moving too slowly.
“This isn’t just a strike vote,” he said Aug. 15. “It’s a demonstration of our strength. It’s a sign of our unity. It’s a statement about our resolve, so if we want to make progress at the bargaining table, we need to show the companies it’s not just talk.”
