General Motors and the UAW reached a tentative agreement earlier this week, but the union has decided to continue their strike until members have had a chance to vote on the proposed agreement.
CNBC says voting will start on Saturday and is expected to be completed on October 25th. That means the strike will continue for at least another week and that could end up costing GM $700 (£542 / €627) million.
GM is understandably upset about this and the company released a statement saying “We encourage the UAW to move as quickly as possible through the ratification process, so we can resume operations and get back to producing vehicles for our customers.” The automaker added, “Our goal during these negotiations was to ensure the future of General Motors is one that works for our employees, dealers, suppliers and the communities where we operate. The agreement reflects our commitment to U.S. manufacturing through the creation of new jobs and increased investment.”
While GM faces another week with striking workers, there’s no guarantee that the contract will be approved. A number of members affected by the closure of Lordstown Assembly have been vocal about their intentions to vote no on the proposed contract and have urged others to follow suit.
Speaking with The Detroit Bureau, union member Jeremy Ladd said “GM signed a commitment to build the [Chevrolet] Cruze until 2022-23, title 13 of the [2015] National Agreement to not close/Idle any plants during the duration, and also had an agreement with the state of Ohio [which] was committed to infrastructure upgrades and tax abatements.” He went on to say, that despite this commitment, GM idled the plant citing lack of demand for the Cruze even though the model sold over 150,000 units in 2018.
While a number of union members are upset about the closure of Lordstown and other plants, some analysts believe the contract will be approved. Among the reasons cited for this are wage increases, improvements for temporary workers and a ratification bonus that could net members up to $11,000 (£8,495 / €9,859).