Only he remained. After six weeks of strike, the manufacturer General Motors (GM) finally reached an agreement in principle with the United Auto Workers (UAW) union this Monday, October 30, according to information from CNBC confirmed by the Wall Street Journal (WSJ) and Reuters. agency. This consensus, which provides for unprecedented wage increases for workers, puts an end to the first simultaneous strike ever launched between the three historic Detroit manufacturers, nicknamed “the big three.”
UAW negotiations with GM, Ford and Stellantis began this summer. But they did not reach any agreement before September 14, the date on which the collective agreements expired. Before him, Stellantis and Ford had reached a similar compromise last week.
A 25% salary increase and compensation
The agreement includes a 25% increase in base salary and cost-of-living allowances, the UAW said. Its main measures were inspired by Ford’s initial agreement, the WSJ states.
These agreements, which last four and a half years, in principle must still be ratified by workers during a vote organized in the coming weeks.
The UAW strategy, which consisted of multiple targeted attacks over more than 40 days, cost the three manufacturers and their suppliers billions of dollars, Reuters reports. On October 16, after a month of strike, Bill Ford, great-grandson of the founder of the automaker of the same name and current chairman of its board of directors, asked his “colleagues” in the UAW union to end the ” cycle of acrimonious negotiations” and the “devastating” strike.
GM employees will return to work after the deal is officially announced, two sources told the agency.
US President Joe Biden, who presents himself as a defender of the working class and unions, celebrated the agreement. “I think he’s great,” he responded.
Source: BFM TV
