CHICAGO, Oct. 6 (Xinhua) -- A strike planned by the United Auto Workers (UAW) at General Motors Co.'s full-size SUV plant in Arlington, Texas, on Friday has been averted as the Detroit-based automaker agrees to place its battery plants under the union's national agreement.
Moreover, GM has agreed to a 23-percent wage hike, more than Ford Motor Co. or Stellantis NV. have offered, UAW President Shawn Fain said during a "stand up" announcement on Facebook Live Friday afternoon.
GM and Ford confirm that they have made new offers to the union. GM's counteroffer presented Thursday was a response to a comprehensive offer from the union on Monday.
Before Thursday, GM had offered a 20-percent wage increase over four years, a four-year progression to the top wage, raises for temporary workers, and the elimination of some wage tiers at parts distribution centers.
Ford's proposal on Tuesday entailed a more than 20-percent wage increase in the new contract that would expire at the end of April 2028, a 21-dollar per hour wage for temporary employees, a reduction in the timeline to the top wage by more than half from the current eight years, a cost-of-living adjustment, product commitment to all of its plants and more, The Detroit News reported Friday.
The UAW announced strike at three select factories of Ford, GM and Stellantis at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14, after its contract with the Big Three expired. It spread the strike to 38 GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers around the country on Sept. 22, following a failure in making meaningful progress in new contract negotiations; and further spread it to GM and Ford SUV assembly plants on Sept. 29.
GM is the sole one among the three automakers that the union hasn't spared in expansions of the strike.
In all, about 25,300 out of some 146,000 Big Three U.S. automakers represented by the UAW are now on strike across the country.
Ever since the strike erupted, Ford has temporarily laid off about 1,330 workers due to the strike. For its part, GM has laid off 2,175 workers at component factories that supply plants that are on strike or use parts from them. Stellantis also has laid off hundreds of workers. ■
