Brian Irwin featured in Law360 and Law360 Employment Authority
rmcintyreTue, 09/26/2023 - 13:30
The United Auto Workers (UAW) union is deploying a unique strategy in the historic strike that began at the Big Three U.S. automakers on September 15, using tactics that experts said could give it powerful leverage over the companies as talks continue on new labor contracts. Currently, there is little sign of any agreement as 12,700 workers remained on strike and an emboldened UAW fired back at the automakers' warnings of impending layoffs and shuttered operations.
The UAW's strategy is to roll out work stoppages at targeted facilities, starting with General Motors Co.'s Wentzville Assembly in Missouri. According to A&M Managing Director of the Automotive & Industrials Group (AIG) Brian Irwin, the union carefully chose the facilities striking because they produce brands that are very profitable for the automakers.
The UAW's demands include (among other things):
- Pay raises of roughly 40% over the life of the contract
- The end of a tiered wage system
- The restoration of cost-of-living adjustments
- Expanded profit-sharing
- Four-day workweeks
Irwin also states that the biggest issue facing the contracts is not about whether or not they are offered 20% or 22% increases in pay, but rather how to ensure global competitiveness over the long term.
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