The United Auto Workers (UAW) has agreed to a tentative agreement with General Motors (GM) Wednesday as the long strike continues into its fifth week.
UAW believes this agreement represents “major gains” for its union members after being on strike for 31 days. According to the Detroit News, the agreement expects to include at least $9 billion in new investments, base wage-increases and uncapped profit-sharing payouts.
“The dignity, grace, and solidarity demonstrated by our members during the last few weeks are prime examples of what this union is all about — supporting one another in the good and bad times and never giving up,” said UAW President Gary Jones in a statement.
“Our more than 48,000 members standing their ground have captured the hearts and minds of people across this country. I could not be prouder of our brothers and sisters, our National Negotiators, and the National Council as they continue to fight one day longer to secure the best deal for our members,” Jones added.
UAW Vice President Terry Dittes said the number one priority of the national negotiation team was to “secure a strong and fair contract that our members deserve.”
The auto worker’s strike will continue until the tentative agreement is ratified by the UAW GM National Council. The council will meet on Thursday to determine if they approve of the agreement.
UAW workers have been on strike since September 15. Things workers sought at the beginning of their strike were a share of GM’s profits, job security, affordable healthcare and job security.
Of the more than 48,000 UAW workers, 17,000 work in the Great Lakes state, according to the Detroit News.
Michigan’s economy suffered while the largest strike against GM since 1970 occurred. As The Michigan Star reported, the UAW strike caused GM to lose almost $700 million, employees losing over $412 million in direct wages, and Michigan losing $9.1 million in lost tax income revenue.
– – –
Zachery Schmidt is the digital editor of Battleground State News. Follow Zachery on Twitter.
Photo “UAW Workers on Strike” by Scott Dexter. CC BY-SA 2.0.
