YPSILANTI, Mich. (WXYZ) — While United Auto Workers with Ford Motor Co. are preparing to get back to work, General Motors is still at the negotiation table with the UAW.
Meanwhile, thousands of GM workers are still out on the picket line.
“We trust them to negotiate, we trust them to keep us out here until we get a nice agreement,” Sarah Joy Kennedy said.
Kennedy has worked at GM’s Ypsilanti Processing Center for nearly 10 years. She says she's disappointed that the union accepted the tentative agreement from Ford.
“Shawn should of threw that in the garbage can honestly,” Kennedy said.
UAW President Shawn Fain says GM’s offer to the union lagged behind Ford’s and it offered the weakest 401K contribution out of all the three automakers.
“We’re not asking for more than what we deserve. We’re asking for what we had back in '07, '08,” Kennedy said.
Meanwhile, some workers hope GM follows Ford’s lead so they can get back to work soon.
“Hopefully, we get something a little bit better and it’s over soon," GM worker Natalie said. “I didn’t even want to go on strike.”
In an effort to put pressure on GM, Fain took out GM’s Arlington, Texas plant, which makes the company's highly profitable SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade.
Kennedy says whatever needs to be done to get GM workers a good deal, the union should do it.
“We’re not OK with you not even moving the percentage at all after how long have we’ve been out here?” Kennedy said.
On Wednesday, GM released a statement saying: “We are working constructively with the UAW to reach a tentative agreement as soon as possible.”
