Now in its 21st day, the United Auto Workers’ strike on General Motors, Ford and Stellantis has proven to be a bitter, protracted affair. But electric vehicles have been looming large over all of it — namely, the fact that most EV battery plants in the U.S. are not unionized, and future EVs may require far less in the way of parts, labor and jobs than conventional cars currently do.
But on Friday afternoon, UAW President Shawn Fain announced what he called a “major breakthrough” with GM specifically: its battery manufacturing will be placed under the UAW’s Master Agreement, meaning future battery jobs will be union ones.
“Moments before this broadcast, we have had a major breakthrough that has not only dramatically changed negotiations, but it’s going to change the future of our union and the future of our industry,” Fain said on his weekly livestream broadcast.
“We were about to shut down GM’s largest moneymaker in Arlington, Texas,” he said, referring to the UAW’s practice of expanding its strikes each Friday as negotiations stalled. “Just that threat has provided a transformative win.”
This is a breaking news post. It will be updated.