Hundreds of UAW workers at two auto suppliers remain on strike after several weeks in suburban Toledo, Ohio, and suburban Detroit.
Unions and automakers are watching the disputes closely, as they may prove to be a warmup act for the UAW’s negotiations with the Detroit 3 automakers this year.
The union has high expectations for those talks and will not be afraid to strike to make sure those expectations are met, UAW President Shawn Fain told members during a virtual town hall Wednesday evening.
Negotiations have stalled at a Clarios vehicle battery plant in Holland, Ohio, where more than 400 members of UAW Local 12 began striking May 8. The plant supplies Ford Motor Co. and General Motors.
The UAW and Clarios reached a tentative contract agreement last week, but about 76 percent of workers voted against it. The strike began after 98 percent of workers voted down a previous tentative agreement.
The UAW asked May 24 for a return to the bargaining table, but as of Wednesday, the union had not been able to schedule a meeting with Clarios, according to Local 12 Clarios battery unit Chairman Aaron Shinaul.
“While we have been in contact with the UAW this week, we have not yet agreed to next steps. During the past month, we’ve negotiated in good faith and reached two reasonable tentative agreements that increased wages, accelerated progression to top pay, and increased work life balance for employees and their families. The second tentative agreement, which was fully endorsed by the UAW, was also voted down,” said Kris Sherman, Clarios director of communications for the U.S. and Canada.
“We remain focused on delivering batteries to customers and remain committed to reaching an agreement.”
The most recent tentative contract agreement offered wage increases, a flexible work schedule and a cash bonus, according to Sherman, but workers say it did not resolve their concerns about changes to overtime pay and other issues with working conditions.
Workers’ primary concern remains the loss of overtime pay that would come with a new schedule the company wants to implement, Shinaul told Automotive News. The company has not shown willingness to compromise on the schedule change, Shinaul said.
Neither Ford nor GM have reported any production disruptions so far.
“This is a very important plant. Without us, their business is hurting. But I can’t say how much it’s hurting,” Shinaul said.
Clarios, of Milwaukee, was formerly part of Johnson Controls Inc. It ranks No. 75 on Automotive News‘ list of the top 100 global parts suppliers, with worldwide sales to automakers of $2.5 billion in its 2021 fiscal year.
Negotiations are ongoing at the Constellium plant in Van Buren Township, Mich., just west of Detroit, which supplies aluminum components to Ford, according to strike captain Joe Whitacre.
About 160 workers belonging to UAW Local 174 began striking May 17 over safety and compensation concerns. Constellium and the UAW returned to the bargaining table soon after and have been meeting periodically since.
The mood at the picket line Wednesday was persistent but hopeful.
“I think it is going to be all right,” Whitacre said. He was not able to provide more detail about the status of negotiations.
A spokesperson from Constellium told Automotive News that the company is “hopeful that we will reach a mutually beneficial resolution. We continue to expect no disruption in our production and operations.”
Constellium, of Paris, ranks No. 84 on the global suppliers list, with worldwide sales to automakers of $1.88 billion in 2021.
