UAW Update: While no new walkouts, Fain rips CEOs, vows to unionize non-union autoworkers
"Non-union auto workers are not the enemy. Those are our future union family."
During his weekly update on Facebook Live, United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain announced that the union would not be calling any new plants out on strike. However, he did blast auto executives, as well as proclaim that the union would be seeking to unionize the workers of non-union auto companies after the UAW ends its strike.
In his weekly address (watch in full here), Fain spoke about other strikes the UAW is involved in before turning his attention to the Detroit Three auto companies.
‘Fear, uncertainty, doubt and division’
During his update, Fain ripped into company executives.
"Let me tell you what the companies' path to victory is. Fear, uncertainty, doubt and division," Fain said.
“Everything they do is in the service of fragmenting our membership,” Fain explained. “They want you to think: What if they really do close a plant? That's fear”
“They want you to think: Do I really know where this is headed? That's uncertainty.” Fain continued. “Does my union leadership really have my best interest at heart? And that's the doubt.”
“Every time these company executives open their mouth,” Fain said, “it is to increase the fear, increase the uncertainty and increase the doubt among the membership.”
Fain also ripped into Ford Chairman Bill Ford who spoke passionately earlier this week at the company’s iconic River Rouge complex, where he urged the union to end its strike.
“He said, if the workers get our share of economic justice, he'd have to close plants like the Rouge,” Fain said about the Ford Chairman.
“We took those comments seriously,” stated Fain. “For all their talk about wanting to invest in American jobs, they have the audacity to come to the Rouge and imply they might close it down.”
“Bill Ford said, it shouldn't be Ford versus the UAW,” Fain stated. “He [Ford] said, it should be the UAW and Ford against foreign automakers.”
“I want to be crystal clear on one thing,” Fain continued, “the days of the UAW and Ford being a team to fight other companies are over.”
Fain also said the union believes there is “more to be won” in the negotiations with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis.
"We’ve got cards left to play and they’ve got money left to spend,” Fain stated.
“These are already record contracts, but they come at the end of decades of record decline,” Fain said. “So, it's not enough to be the best ever, when auto workers have gone backwards over the last two decades. That's a very low bar."
Non-union autoworkers next.
“Since the stand-up strike began,” Fain stated, “we’ve had thousands of non-union autoworkers reaching out wanting to join our movement.”
“Right now, we’re striking the Big Three like we’ve never struck before,” Fain said. “Next, we’re going to organize non-union auto companies like we’ve never organized before.”
Fain also broke down where the negotiations stand with all three auto companies and, following his video update, the UAW sent out updates on the status at each of the Detroit Three auto companies.
Update on UAW-Ford Negotiations
Update on UAW-GM Negotiations
Update on UAW-Stellantis Negotiations
