{"id":2034228,"date":"2023-09-16T04:38:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-16T08:38:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/political-blame-game-erupts-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-paralyze-auto-industry\/"},"modified":"2023-09-16T04:42:25","modified_gmt":"2023-09-16T08:42:25","slug":"political-blame-game-erupts-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-paralyze-auto-industry","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/political-blame-game-erupts-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-paralyze-auto-industry\/","title":{"rendered":"UAW Strike Threatens Auto Industry, Sparks Political Blame-Game."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"&quot;\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">16<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fpolitical-blame-game-erupts-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-paralyze-auto-industry%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2034228&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><h2>Historic Strike Hits Detroit&#8217;s &#8220;Big Three&#8221; Automakers<\/h2>\n<p>For the \u200bfirst time in its history, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union has launched a strike \u200cagainst Detroit&#8217;s\u2064 &#8220;Big Three&#8221; automakers, setting off a flurry\u2062 of political blame-trading and concern among industry observers.<\/p>\n<p>Thousands \u200cof UAW members walked off\u2064 the job on Friday at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis simultaneously\u2014a historical first\u2014after their four-year \u200dcontracts at the three automakers expired at 11:59 p.m. on Sept.\u2063 14.<\/p>\n<p>While the UAW leadership called the\u2062 strike\u200b a &#8220;defining moment,&#8221; the\u2063 walkout triggered a round of finger-pointing, blame-trading\u2014along with \u200cwarnings of \u2064harm to the economy.<\/p>\n<blockquote>\n<h3>Related Stories<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/us-chamber-of-commerce-calls-uaw-strike-a-natural-result-president-bidens-pro-union-bias-5492285\">US Chamber of Commerce Calls UAW Strike a \u2018Natural Result\u2019 of Biden&#8217;s Pro-Union Bias<\/a> (9\/15\/2023)<\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.theepochtimes.com\/us\/biden-accuses-big-three-automakers-of-not-sharing-record-profits-amid-uaw-strike-5492286\">Biden Accuses Big 3 Automakers of Not Sharing &#8216;Record Profits&#8217; Amid UAW Strike<\/a> (9\/15\/2023)<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/blockquote>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>Members\u200c of the United Auto Workers (UAW) \u200bpicket and hold signs outside of the UAW Local 900 headquarters across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant\u200c in \u2062Wayne, Michigan, on Sept. 15, 2023. (Matthew Hatcher\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce blamed President Joe Biden and his administration&#8217;s \u201coverly \u2064aggressive pro-union agenda&#8221; for the strike, while the president wagged his finger at supposedly greedy auto executives who refuse to share the spoils \u2064of record\u200d profits &#8220;fairly.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Rep. Nancy \u200cPelosi (D-Calif.) took the opportunity\u200d of the strike to signal Democrat support for &#8220;auto workers seeking\u2062 fair pay and good pensions&#8221; while taking a potshot at former \u2063President Donald Trump and &#8220;extreme Republicans&#8221; for &#8220;gifting billions to the wealthy and corporations&#8221; by cutting taxes.<\/p>\n<p>For \u2064his part, President Trump also weighed in, telling NBC News in an interview set to air \u2062Sunday on \u201cMeet the Press\u201d that auto workers&#8217; jobs will move to China while criticizing UAW President Shawn Fain because &#8220;auto workers are being sold down the river by \u200ctheir leadership.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>United Auto Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain speaks with members of the media across the street from the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne, Michigan,\u2063 on Sept. 15,\u2063 2023. \u2062(Matthew Hatcher\/AFP via Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>A number of Democrat lawmakers took to social media to proclaim their support\u200b for the\u2062 UAW workers on strike, with many calling for a &#8220;fair deal&#8221; \u200bthat one of the automakers said was &#8220;unsustainable&#8221; \u200dand warned that a prolonged\u2063 strike could have &#8220;wide-ranging consequences for our business and \u200dthe economy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Ford CEO Jim Farley said \u2064that if the automaker were \u2063to meet the\u2063 union&#8217;s demands\u2014which include a 40 percent pay hike\u2014&#8221;there&#8217;s no way we can be sustainable as a company.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The UAW is demanding a four-year contract that consists of a 40\u2064 percent\u2063 pay hike, a 32-hour work week with 40 hours of pay, the elimination of \u200bcompensation tiers, \u2062and the restoration of cost-of-living adjustments (COLA) and conventional pensions.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;This\u200b fight \u2063is our generation&#8217;s defining moment,&#8221; the UAW&#8217;s Mr. Fain\u2062 said in \u200ca statement, in which he announced that thousands\u200c of the \u2062union&#8217;s members \u2063had embarked\u200d on a so-called &#8220;Stand Up Strike&#8221; that involves select local\u200d unions going on strike rather than at all plants all at once.<\/p>\n<p>So far, UAW members haven&#8217;t targeted the companies&#8217; cash cows, which are <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/gm-halting-pickup-truck-production-in-indiana-due-to-chip-shortage\/\" title=\"GM Halting Pickup Truck Production in Indiana Due to Chip Shortage\">full-size pickup trucks<\/a> and\u200d big SUVs, instead targeting\u200d plants with lower \u2063profit margins.<\/p>\n<p>Union\u200b members have thus far gone on strike at three facilities: GM Wentzville Assembly (Local 2250), Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex (Local 12), and Ford Michigan Assembly Plant\u2013Final\u2062 Assembly and Paint (Local 900).<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As time goes on, more \u2064locals\u2064 may\u200c be called on to &#8216;Stand\u200c Up&#8217; and join the \u200dstrike,&#8221; UAW said in a notice. &#8220;That \u200bgive us maximum leverage and maximum flexibility in our fight to win a fair\u200d contract at each of the \u200cBig Three \u200dautomakers.&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>Win-Win?<\/h2>\n<p>&#8220;The bottom line is that auto workers \u2064helped create America\u2019s middle class.\u200b They deserve a contract that sustains them and\u200d the middle class,&#8221; President\u2064 Biden said. &#8220;It\u2019s my hope that the parties can \u200breturn\u200b to the negotiation table to forge a win-win agreement.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The White House\u2063 has been involved in trying \u200cto\u200d broker a deal, with Mr.\u200b Fain meeting President \u200dBiden in the West Wing in July, where he outlined\u200b the UAW&#8217;s demands.<\/p>\n<div class=\"post-figure\" style=\"margin-left:0;margin-right:0;max-width:1200px\">\n<figure style=\"width:640px;margin-left:auto;margin-right:auto\" class=\"alignnone\"><figcaption>President Joe Biden delivers\u200c remarks on the\u200c economy at an International Union of Operating Engineers\u2063 Local 77 union training facility\u200b in\u200c Accokeek, Md., on\u200d April 19, 2023. (Nathan Howard\/Getty Images)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<p>Mr. Fain has outlined an ambitious set of goals, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/political-blame-game-erupts-as-uaw-strike-threatens-to-paralyze-auto-industry\/\" title=\"UAW Strike Threatens Auto Industry, Sparks Political Blame-Game.\">including double-digit pay hikes<\/a>, ending the tiered wage system that pays new hires less than veterans, and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uaw-members-authorize-strike-at-ford-gm-stellantis\/\" title=\"UAW members approve strike at Ford, GM, Stellantis.\">restoring defined-benefit pension plans<\/a> that the <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/uaw-members-authorize-strike-at-detroit-three-automakers\/\" title=\"UAW members approve strike at Detroit Three automakers.\">automakers ended years ago<\/a> for new employees.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;As I go to the table this \u2064week, I&#8217;ll \u2064be giving the Big Three the\u200b most audacious and ambitious list of proposals\u2062 that they&#8217;ve seen in decades,&#8221; Mr. Fain said in an earlier\u200c video message.<\/p>\n<p>President Biden said that &#8220;after \u200bnegotiations broke down,&#8221; the UAW announced\u2063 targeted strikes at\u2064 several plants.<\/p>\n<div class=\"my-5\">\n<h2>&#8216;No Wonder Unions Feel\u2064 Emboldened&#8217;<\/h2>\n<p>One group that has warned about the economic impact of\u2064 the \u200bstrike is the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, a business lobby.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe decision by the United Auto Workers to initiate a strike will have far-reaching negative consequences for our economy, for the American workers directly employed by the Detroit \u2064Three, their suppliers and dealers, as well as the thousands \u2062of small businesses and families whose livelihoods will also \u200bbe put at risk,&#8221;\u200d Ms. Clark, the group&#8217;s CEO, said in a statement.<\/p>\n<p>She blamed \u200cPresident Biden\u2063 and \u200dhis administration&#8217;s pro-union policies for the situation.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cThe UAW strike and indeed the \u2018summer of \u2063strikes\u2019\u200c is the natural result of the Biden administration\u2019s \u2018whole of government\u2019 approach to promoting unionization at all costs,&#8221; \u200cshe continued.<\/p>\n<p>She \u2063said that, \u201cit is no wonder unions feel emboldened when they see the Biden administration declaring that unions don\u2019t actually have to win an election to be recognized, that those in management should be muzzled if they oppose unionization, and\u2064 that preference for government grants and tax credits will go to shops\u200d that are unionized.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p>The Big \u200cThree automakers have proposed pay hikes ranging from\u200b 17.5 \u2062percent to \u206220 percent, while the UAW\u200d is seeking something closer\u2063 to 40 \u2062percent.<\/p>\n<p>Ford\u200b said in a statement\u2063 obtained by The\u2064 Epoch Times that the UAW&#8217;s terms were &#8220;unsustainable&#8221; and that the company had bargained &#8220;in good faith in an effort to\u2063 avoid a strike, which could have wide-ranging consequences for our business and the \u200deconomy.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;Our hourly employees would\u200b take home nearly 60 percent\u200c less on average with \u2064UAW \u2062strike pay \u2063than they\u200c would from working,&#8221; Ford continued. &#8220;And without vehicles in production, the profit-sharing checks that\u2062 UAW workers could expect\u200b to receive \u2062early next year will also be decimated by a significant strike.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The company added that it remains &#8220;absolutely\u200d committed \u200dto reaching an agreement that \u200brewards\u2062 our employees and protects Ford\u2019s \u200cability to \u2064invest in the future as we move through industry-wide transformation,&#8221; referring to the electrification\u200c push\u2063 that looms large in the background of the strike.<\/p>\n<p>The UAW has expressed concern about the transition to electric vehicles, including federally subsidized work going to non-union battery plants. It takes around \u200dtwo-thirds the time to assemble a battery-powered electric vehicle as it does a vehicle with an internal combustion engine. Among its various demands, \u2063the UAW\u2064 has asked for protections in case of plant closures.<\/p>\n<p>GM said in a statement \u2063obtained by\u2062 The Epoch Times that the\u200c company \u2063has worked around the clock in\u200c response to the union&#8217;s demands and that it, too, has\u200c bargained in good faith.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;We&#8217;re at\u200d a crossroads on our path \u200cto building\u200b a company that can sustain all\u2062 of us for decades to come,&#8221; GM said.<\/p>\n<p>GM said that it had put forward a &#8220;historic proposal that rewards our team members, sets us up for the future, and continues a profit-sharing program so we all benefit from the \u200dcompany&#8217;s success.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>A Stellantis spokesperson told The Epoch Times in an earlier emailed\u2063 statement when the UAW first authorized its strike that the company is focused on reaching \u200ca new agreement that &#8220;balances the concerns of our 43,000 employees with our vision for the future\u2013one \u200cthat better positions the business to meet\u2062 the challenges of the U.S. marketplace \u2062and secures\u200c the future for all of our employees, their families \u2063and our company.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>The Anderson Economic Group has estimated that the economic impact of the strike could\u2063 hit $5 billion in 10 \u200ddays.<\/p>\n<p> <\/p>\n<h2> What\u200c are\u2062 the\u200c demands\u200d of the UAW in their\u200d strike against Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis?<\/h2>\n<p><span>  W union declared as thousands of its members walked off the job at Ford, General Motors, and\u200b Stellantis. The strike, which marks the \u200dfirst time the UAW\u2062 has \u2062taken action against the\u2063 &#8220;Big Three&#8221; automakers simultaneously, has\u200c sparked\u200b a \u2063wave of political blame-trading\u200b and concerns among industry observers.<\/p>\n<p>The strike was set in motion \u200dafter the\u2064 four-year contracts\u2064 between the UAW and the three \u200cautomakers expired on September 14, \u2064leading to a historic\u200b walkout\u200b on Friday. \u200cWhile the UAW leadership \u200csees this strike as a &#8220;defining moment,&#8221; it has also triggered\u200d a\u2064 round of finger-pointing and \u2063blame-trading, with warnings of the \u2062potential harm \u2064to the \u2064economy.<\/p>\n<p>The U.S. Chamber of Commerce has attributed the strike to President\u2064 Joe Biden&#8217;s &#8220;overly\u2062 aggressive pro-union agenda,&#8221; while President Biden has criticized\u200c auto executives for not sharing the record profits &#8220;fairly.&#8221; Rep. Nancy Pelosi has used the opportunity to show Democratic support for the auto workers&#8217; demands for \u200dfair \u200cpay and good pensions, while also criticizing former President Donald Trump \u200dand &#8220;extreme \u200bRepublicans&#8221;\u200c for favoring the \u2064wealthy and corporations through tax\u2062 cuts.<\/p>\n<p>Former President Trump has also voiced\u2064 his opinion on the\u200b matter, claiming that jobs will move to China and accusing UAW President\u2062 Shawn Fain of betraying auto workers by not standing up for their interests.<\/p>\n<p>Numerous \u2063Democrat\u2063 lawmakers have shown their support for the striking UAW \u2062workers on social \u200bmedia, calling for a &#8220;fair\u200d deal.&#8221; However, \u2063one of the\u200c automakers has \u2064argued that meeting the union&#8217;s demands, which include a\u2064 40 percent pay hike, would be unsustainable for the company. \u2064Ford \u200bCEO Jim Farley stated\u2064 that if they were to meet these demands, the company would not be\u200c able to\u2063 sustain itself.<\/p>\n<p>The UAW is demanding a\u200d four-year \u200dcontract that\u2063 includes a \u200b40 percent \u200cpay increase, a 32-hour workweek \u200dwith \u200d40 hours of pay, the \u200belimination of compensation tiers, and the restoration of cost-of-living\u2063 adjustments and \u200cconventional pensions.<\/p>\n<p>The\u2062 outcome of \u200dthis strike will undoubtedly have significant consequences for\u2064 both the automakers involved and the broader economy.\u2062 As the \u2064strike continues,\u2063 negotiations will be crucial in reaching a resolution that addresses the concerns of \u200bboth the union and the automakers, ensuring the sustainability \u2064of \u2064the \u2064industry and \u200bthe \u2062well-being \u200cof its workers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>For the first time ever, the UAW union initiated a strike against Detroit&#8217;s &#8220;Big Three&#8221; automakers. This sparked political blame games and raised concerns among industry experts. Thousands of UAW members from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis simultaneously walked off the job on Friday, marking a historic event. The strike occurred following the expiration of their four-year contracts.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":118,"featured_media":2034229,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[543],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2034228","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-epoch-times"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034228","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/118"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2034228"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2034228\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2034229"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2034228"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2034228"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2034228"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}