UAW members in Indiana, Ohio, and Michigan might want to check in to see if they’re part of a new round of layoffs. The big three in Detroit just laid off a combined 270 workers. It’s only the latest piece of the ongoing strike between the GM, Ford, Stellantis, and the UAW.
Since the strike kicked off on September 15th, the UAW has utilized a number of tactics in an effort to get its demands met. On the other end of the spectrum, the big three have told mainstream media that doom and gloom were ahead if the UAW wouldn’t give in. Ford CEO Jim Farley even appeared to claim that UAW workers are paid more than teachers and emergency workers and that meeting the union’s demands would bankrupt the company .
On Wednesday, Ford said that it would lay off 150 workers from its Sterling Axle plant. That appears to be a direct response to the UAW strike on the Kentucky Truck plant, which supplies Sterling, that began on October 11th. That makes for some 2,700 layoffs on the part of Ford, the most of any of the big three. Notably, Ford also employs more UAW workers than either GM or Stellantis.
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Those two automakers announced more layoffs on Thursday. General Motors says it’s cutting ties with 20 workers in total. 13 come from its Marion Metal Center in Indiana and another seven from its Parma Metal Center in Ohio.
Stellanis falls in between the two with 100 layoffs affecting the Toledo Machining Plant in Ohio. That site is responsible for supplying components that go to Jeep’s Toledo Assembly Complex. That brings the total of UAW layoffs for Stellantis to 1,520 employees, according to Automotive News.
These employees may not technically qualify for unemployment or funds from the union but UAW President Shawn Fain says that the union will give them $500 per week despite their technical eligibility.
