DETROIT (WXYZ) — The United Auto Workers union is back at the negotiating table, presenting Detroit's Big 3 with the list of demands for auto workers.
It happens every four years. This time the Union's newly elected president, Shawn Fain, is keeping things transparent, sharing the list of demands over social media.
The Union presented them to Stellantis yesterday. They are being presented to General Motors today and will be given to Ford tomorrow.
"I'll be giving the Big 3 the most audacious and ambitious list of proposals they've seen in decades," says Shawn Fain.
Via a live Facebook post, UAW President Shaw Fain shared a total of 10 'Members' Demands' that include:
- Eliminate tiers
- Substantial wage increases: we're demanding double-digit pay raises
- Restore COLA
- Defined benefit pension for all workers
- Re-establish retiree medical benefits
- Significantly increase retiree pay
- Right to strike over plant closures
- Working family protection program
- End abuse of temp workers
- And the one grabbing a lot of attention is a 32-hour work week instead of the traditional 40
"We have to get back to a standard where we have a quality of life for our members. These are quality-of-life issues," said Fain.
Seeing such negotiations play out over the past four decades, automotive analyst John McElroy says most likely, a shorter work week won't fly.
"It would be an automatic pay increase because you are just working fewer hours to get the same pay," said McElroy.
"What about having full-time status and benefits? Will that be impacted? Asked 7 Action News.
"I don't think so, the Union is looking for having its members work less every week and having car companies hire more workers," said McElroy.
"Our message going into bargaining is clear; record profits mean record contracts," said Fain.
"It's easy to say 'Oh they are making billions in profits', but yeah times are really good right now, and we've seen in the past for this industry to go from record profit to record loss in a matter of 1 or 2 years," said McElroy.
Just outside the Ford plant in Livonia, a 27-year veteran of the auto industry - who did not want to share his identity for fear of repercussions - hopes to see big changes within the company.
"To be honest with you, people here are living paycheck to paycheck. Because everything has gone up in cost, and we are still at the same," said a Ford worker.
As per ZipRecruiter, the average hourly pay for an Auto Worker in Michigan is $21 an hour.
"What changes would you like to see?" asked 7 Action News.
"I would like to see the company and the people be more united and work together as old Ford. When I first started, I knew who the top guy was all the way down to my supervisor," said a Ford worker.
"I think the Union is going to get a lot out of these negotiations, but it won't get everything it's asking for," said McElroy.
We reached out to Ford for comments but have yet to hear back.
In the meantime, the current contracts between Detroit's Big 3 and the UAW expire on September 14th. If no deal is reached - workers could hit the picket lines. And if the strike lasts over a few weeks, it could hurt Michigan's automotive industry.
