The union representing 150,000 autoworkers voted Friday to authorize a strike against the Detroit Three automakers if the two sides can’t negotiate a deal by Sept. 14, when their current contract expires.
UAW President Shawn Fain said 97% of the union’s voting members approved the strike authorization.
The UAW has presented a list of 10 demands to Ford Motor Co., General Motors and Stellantis, including a 32-hour workweek, double-digit wage increases, pension benefits for all workers, limited use of temporary workers and more paid time off, but their demands have not been met.
Negotiations between the two sides have become increasingly contentious this month, with Fain throwing a proposed contract from Stellantis into a trash can during a livestream. Fain has been meeting with each of the Detroit Three automakers separately since July.
Earlier this month, President Joe Biden weighed in on the negotiations, urging the two sides to make a deal. But the autoworkers and carmakers remain far apart.
The current contract has been in place four years. A recent study from the Anderson Economic Group estimates a 10-day UAW strike could cost the U.S. economy more than $5 billion.
