Unions in Detroit, South Korea Authorize Strikes
Workers push for more pay, better benefits as industry undergoes pandemic recovery.
The potential strikes could complicate a reviving auto sales market that has just started to stabilize from the pandemic.
IMAGE: Pexels/Martin Lopez
The specter of a strike in Michigan’s automaker hub looms larger as the United Auto Workers union authorized a strike at the three Detroit automakers if negotiations fail.
Meanwhile in Asia, Hyundai’s union in South Korea voted to strike for the first time in five years unless the automaker accepts its expectations of wage hikes and a retirement-age extension.
In Michigan, the UAW said about 97% of its members voted to authorize a strike; it was still counting votes on Friday. It says it will strike if wage and cost-of-living increases, a 32-hour workweek, increased retirement benefits and other concessions aren’t agreed to by Ford, General Motors and Stellantis by the contracts’ Sept. 14 expiration.
The potential strikes could complicate a reviving auto sales market that has just started to revive as production increases and vehicle prices stabilize after pandemic-era constraints skewed the supply-and-demand balance.
LEARN MORE: Report Warns UAW Strike Could Bring Economic Strife
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