The United Auto Workers union plans to hold a strike authorization vote against Stellantis for abandoning contract commitments made after its historic 2023 work stoppage and threatening auto jobs, UAW President Shawn Fain announced Tuesday.
“We will … be holding strike authorization votes at one or more Stellantis locals,” Fain said. “We will stand united to enforce our contract and save American jobs. We ask the American people to stand with us.”
Stellantis did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Following the strike, the union won historic wage gains along with a commitment from Stellantis to reopen its idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill. Fain said Tuesday that Stellantis did not honor that commitments among others — which had prompted the UAW to recently file grievances against the company.
The union also filed federal labor charges against Stellantis on Monday with the National Labor Relations Board for allegedly refusing to provide information about the company’s plans regarding its product commitments.
Fain also said the company confirmed last week that it is planning to move Dodge Durango production from Detroit to Canada, another contract violation, and added that the union had requested to meet for weeks with Stellantis leadership to no avail.
“This will kill thousands of jobs right here in America and it is a flagrant violation of our contract,” Fain said. “[Stellantis is] determined to beat down the UAW and devastate the American working class and we will not let them.”
The multinational automaker produces Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands in North America. Because the strike vote is only being held at select union locals, it’s possible that the union could hold a limited strike against the company. In his speech, however, Fain left open the possibility of a national strike.
