United Auto Staff (UAW) members strike at a General Motors assembly plant that builds the U.S. automaker’s full-size sport utility vehicles, in one other expansion of the strike in Arlington, Texas, October 24, 2023.
James Breeden | Reuters
DETROIT – The United Auto Staff’ tentative agreement with General Motors is back on track for ratification after a handful of enormous plants voted against the pact in recent days, in keeping with ongoing voting results published Wednesday by the union.
As of Wednesday afternoon, the deal had the support of about 54% of the roughly 30,700 autoworkers whose votes had been finalized by the union. Results were still pending at several small facilities and a crossover plant in mid-Michigan, which an area chapter reported voted 60% against the pact.
The broad approval marks a swing in voting after several major assembly plants in Michigan, Indiana, Missouri, Kentucky and Tennessee – representing greater than 19,000 of GM’s roughly 50,000 union employees under the tentative agreement – voted against the deal and spurred uncertainty about its prospects.
Later Wednesday morning, GM’s Arlington Assembly plant in Texas, which represents 4,900 autoworkers, voted in support of the deal, with roughly 60% of production employees and 65% of expert trades union employees voting in favor. A three way partnership battery plant now included under the tentative agreements also had 96%, or 1,313 votes, in support of the pact.
Each the UAW and GM declined to comment on the outcomes until they have been finalized.
UAW members with Ford Motor and Chrysler-parent Stellantis are also continuing to vote, nonetheless, those results have largely been in favor of the deals. Voting is predicted to conclude by Friday, nonetheless the union has not confirmed when votes shall be finalized.
The UAW reached tentative deals with each of the automakers individually, so each is voted on individually. They should not contingent on each other to be ratified.
The record deal at GM, like those at Ford and Stellantis, included 25% wage increases, restoration of cost-of-living adjustments and other advantages.
But UAW members, especially veteran employees, have voiced disapproval for the deal, citing inflated expectations created by Fain, who called for and ultimately didn’t secure a 32-hour workweek and higher retirement advantages.
GM has the best variety of traditional employees on a percentage basis, followed by Ford after which Stellantis. Stellantis also leans more heavily on temporary employees, who will largely be converted to full-time employees and change into eligible for top wages by the tip of the deals.
A rejection at GM could be a black eye on the negotiations for UAW President Shawn Fain. Although he has said union members have the ultimate say on contracts, he and other union leaders have praised the historic deal, saying they bargained for every penny out of the automakers.
Correction: This story has been updated to correct that United Auto Staff members at General Motors’ SUV plant in Arlington, Texas, voted in favor of the tentative contract agreement.