Two Michigan teacher’s unions have come out in support of the United Auto Workers union’s strike against General Motors.
The American Federation of Teachers Michigan and the Michigan Education Alliance released a joint statement on Monday in solidarity with UAW.
The UAW went on strike at midnight on Sunday to demand fair wages, affordable healthcare, job security, a path to permanent positions for temporary workers and what they called “our share of profits.”
UAW union workers walked out of 31 GM factories and 21 other facilities across the state, according to CNN. It is the largest strike against any business since a 2007 strike also against GM.
“Companies like GM would not be the flagship institutions that they are without the hard work of union members in Michigan and across the country. It’s time for GM to come to the table and listen to the needs of UAW members and negotiate in good faith to give workers the wages and benefits they deserve,” said David Hecker and Paula Herbart, presidents of AFT Michigan and MEA, respectively, in a statement. “A fair contract means growth and stability for working families, which translates to good things for the communities where they live and the students in their lives.”
The unions also said that the strikes “serve as a symbol of the strength of working people in this country and the power that is inherent in their labor.”
The UAW strike has garnered support from Governor Gretchen Whitmer.
Always proud to stand with UAW members fighting for good jobs and fair wages. I’m hopeful the UAW and GM can negotiate and ratify a contract quickly so Michigan’s autoworkers can get back on the job as soon as possible, as this is so important to our economy. pic.twitter.com/BnVAFIlm9D
— Governor Gretchen Whitmer (@GovWhitmer) September 16, 2019
“I’m hopeful the UAW and GM can negotiate and ratify a contract quickly so Michigan’s autoworkers can get back on the job as soon as possible, as this is so important to our economy,” Whitmer tweeted.
Several Democratic presidential candidates have also spoken in favor of the strike, including former Vice President Joe Biden, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-VT), former U.S. Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Julián Castro, and Mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg.
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Jordyn Pair is a reporter with Battleground State News and The Michigan Star. Follow her on Twitter at @JordynPair. Email her at [email protected].
Photo “UAW Strikers w Gov Whitmer” by Gov. Whitmer and “AFT Parade” by American Federation of Teachers-Michigan.
[…] As The Michigan Star reported, two Michigan teachers’ unions have come out in support of the UAW strike. […]