The UAW Strike Escalates With A Surprise Move Against Ford

The UAW has expanded the strike against the Detroit automakers it kicked off on September 15th, with a major escalation that affected the largest factory of Ford Motor F. On late Wednesday, the UAW instructed 8,700 workers to strike at the Kentucky Truck Plant where its F Series pickups and full-size SUVs are built. Although this is not the first time that the UAW expanded the strike, it is the first time that it added a target without any previous public warning. With the additional workers, UAW’s total on strike is about 34,000 U.S. workers or 23% of its members who are covered by the expired contracts with Ford, General Motors GM and Stellantis STLA. 

Hitting Ford Where It Hurts The Most

The Kentucky plant is where Ford’s most lucrative vehicles are made as they bring in annual revenue of $25 billion which makes about one-sixth of its global revenue. Reuters reported that Wells Fargo analysts estimated that Ford will lose about $150 million per week in core profit from this particular strike. While it does not make the best-selling F-150, it is where larger versions of the truck are built along with Ford Expedition and Lincoln Navigator SUVs. Before Wednesday night, the UAW targeted Ford’s facility at Wayne Michigan that builds the Ford Ranger small pickup truck and the Bronco, along with the Chicago Assembly plant that builds the Ford Expedition and Lincoln Aviator SUVs. While all of those are profitable vehicles these were not the profit drivers that are the Ford heavy duty pickups and full-size pickups but the UAW has now gone after those too, signaling major escalation in labor fight.

This move puts GM and Stellantis on notice. Last Friday, Fain warned that UAW could strike GM’s Arlington Texas plant that makes high-priced EVs, if needed. As for Stellantis, the profit targets are its Ram pickup truck factories in Sterling Heights and Warren, Michigan, along with two Jeep SUV plants in Detroit.

A Transformative Win At GM

Last week, General Motors agreed to include workers at its electric vehicle battery plant in the company’s national contract with the union. By being the first automaker to do so, GM inevitably put pressure on both Ford and Stellantis to follow suit.

The UAW Is Hoping That A Win Against GM, Stellantis And Ford Could Help It With Tesla

Workers have attempted to organize at Tesla Inc TSLA several times but without success due to the EV king’s aggressive ‘anti-union’ tactics and rare offering of granting factory workers stock options. But in order to grow, the UAW will need to enter the EV universe as its membership has been declining over the recent decades. To grow, it will clearly need to go after Tesla who controls 60% of the EV market in the U.S. and 120,000 workers across the globe, with the average worker’s wage being about $55 compared to $66 to $71 an hour at General Motors, Stellantis and Ford, according to industry estimates that CNN Business quoted.

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