- Several UAW locals are prepared to file grievances, which could pave the way for a strike against Stellantis.
- The union is upset about plans to delay the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant.
- Stellantis confirmed the delay, but said the UAW is out of luck as they agreed to allow the automaker to “modify product investments and employment levels.”
There’s a lot of bad blood between the UAW and Stellantis as the automaker is eliminating a shift at the Warren Truck Plant and is temporarily shutting down the Trenton Engine Complex. If that wasn’t bad enough, the union is still fuming over the idling of Belvidere Assembly.
Things are now coming to a head as the union said “locals representing tens of thousands of workers under the national UAW Stellantis agreement are prepared to file grievances over the company’s failure to keep its investment commitments and honor the union contract, paving the way for a national strike at Stellantis, if necessary.” The idled Illinois plant is at the heart of the disagreement as the union claims the automaker has “gone back on its product commitments at Belvidere, and has been unreceptive in talks with the union to stay on track.”
More: New Mid-Size Trucks, Wrangler And Wagoneer EVs, And Durango Revealed In Stellantis UAW Contract
The grievance says Stellantis has informed the union they will “not launch the Belvidere Consolidated Mopar Mega Hub in 2024, … not begin stamping operations for the Belvidere Mega Hub in 2025, and … not begin production of a midsize truck in Belvidere in 2027.” It goes on to say this is a violation of their agreement and demand the company reverse course.
The union explained once an issue has been taken through the grievance process, they can authorize a strike. The UAW added they’re “prepared to take [that] action if necessary.”
UAW President Shawn Fain said, “This company made a commitment to autoworkers at Stellantis in our union contract, and we intend to enforce that contract to the full extent. On behalf of autoworkers everywhere, we’re standing up against a company that wants to go back on its commitments and drive a race to the bottom at the expense of the American worker.”
Stellantis pushed back on the UAW’s claims, but confirmed plans for Belvidere “will be delayed.” The automaker said this is necessary to preserve “competitiveness and sustainability,” while also making sure the “business case for all investments is aligned with market conditions and our ability to accommodate a wide range of consumer demands.”
That’s a not so subtle hint the plant was slated to be a “complex for electrification.” In fact, the Department of Energy awarded $334,763,050 to the plant to help aid its transition.
The UAW agreement revealed a $1.5 billion investment into Belvidere Assembly and suggested the plant would build 80,000 to 100,000 vehicles annually. The facility was slated to have two shifts and the UAW suggested this could “more than make up for the 1,200 jobs lost when Belvidere was idled.” The plant is expected to build the Ram Dakota successor as well as the next-generation Jeep Gladiator.
Getting back to Stellantis, the company said they have “not violated the commitments” made as part of the UAW agreement and strongly object to the accusations. They went on to say the “UAW agreed to language that expressly allows the company to modify product investments and employment levels. Therefore, the union cannot legally strike over a violation of this letter at this time.”
