The leader of the United Auto Workers union said there would be no more strikes at Detroit automakers' plants on Friday as the union made progress in talks with all three auto plants.
The union made a last-minute decision not to strike at a lucrative General Motors sport-utility vehicle plant in Texas, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a live broadcast to members on Friday. He said GM made a major last-minute concession by agreeing to include the battery plant in the union's main labor agreement.
The ongoing UAW strike is in its fourth week, with about 25,000 factory workers walking off the job at five assembly plants and dozens of parts distribution centers for GM, Ford Motor Co. (F) and Stellantis (STLA). It is the first time in the union's 88-year history that it has gone on strike at three automakers simultaneously.
While the talks have focused on wage increases and retirement benefits, automakers' plans to invest billions of dollars in new battery plants in the United States have also influenced the talks. Union leaders say they want the plants to be unionized as well, in part out of concern that jobs will be lost or wages will fall as the companies transition to electric vehicles.
Auto manufacturing executives have previously said battery factories cannot be included in the UAW's main labor contract because the plants are legally separate entities, owned jointly by Asian battery makers. Gm's decision to include the battery factory in the labor contract will allow the wages and benefits of those battery factory workers to be discussed more directly in this round of negotiations as well.
Gm said in a statement that talks are ongoing and the company will continue to work to find a solution to the outstanding issues. The company didn't comment on the battery plant problems.
The UAW's decision not to further strike at the three automakers followed a week of intense negotiations between the union and the three automakers.
Ford has offered a 23 percent raise, Fain said Friday, while Stellantis and GM are still around 20 percent. Stellantis and Ford also agreed to pay cost-of-living adjustments to workers to keep up with inflation, he told union members.
Stellantis said it continues to see good momentum at the negotiating table, but said gaps remain and the company did not comment on the battery plant issue.