The United Auto Workers or UAW union has filed unfair labor practice charges against General Motors and Stellantis, parent of Chrysler, with the National Labor Relations Board. During a Facebook Live, UAW President Shawn Fain said the automakers refused to respond to the union's demands in good faith or in a timely manner.
Meanwhile, the union did not file a complaint against Ford Motor, which employs the most UAW workers, as it offered a 9 percent wage increase through 2027, though much lower than the 46 percent wage hike demanded by the union.
The filing comes as the current four-year labor agreements, which cover around 146,000 workers at the Big 3 automakers, expire on September 14. The union said last week that about 97 percent of its members voted in favor of authorizing a strike if deals are not reached by then.
Fain now said, "GM and Stellantis' willful refusal to bargain in good faith is not only insulting and counterproductive, but also illegal. That's why today, our union filed unfair labor practice charges, or ULPs, against both GM and Stellantis with the National Labor Relations Board."
Responding to the filing, GM said it strongly refutes the NLRB charges filed by the International UAW, noting that it is an insult to the bargaining committees. The company said it has been hyper-focused on negotiating directly and in good faith with the UAW and is making progress.
Further, Stellantis said it will vigorously defend this charge when the time comes, but right now it is more focused on continuing to bargain in good faith for a new agreement.
Meanwhile, Ford President and CEO Jim Farley has presented a generous offer on the upcoming contract that would provide hourly employees with 15% guaranteed combined wage increases and lump sums, and improved benefits over the life of the contract.
Wages, including overtime, and lump sum bonuses for Ford's UAW-represented hourly workers would increase to $92,000 in the first year of the contract from $78,000 on average in 2022.
Full-time permanent Ford employees at the top wage rate could be paid $98,000, from wages, cost-of-living adjustment bonus, ratification bonus, profit sharing, and overtime, in the first year alone.
According to Ford, the offer is significantly better than what it estimates and workers earn at Tesla and foreign automakers operating in the U.S.
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