Negotiations with the management of the automotive giant have reached a dead end, and plant workers have announced the start of the largest strike in 12 years. This could hit not only the manufacturer itself but also the entire economy of the state.
Last weekend, the four-year agreement between General Motors and the United Auto Workers (UAW) union expired. By Monday morning, September 16, they had failed to reach a new labor contract. Among the key demands of the workers are higher wages, given GM's record profits in recent years, as well as abandoning plans to close assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio.
In response to the union's claims, the automaker's management emphasized that salaries in the company "remain among the highest in the industry" and reminded that the UAW's demands include additional investments of seven billion dollars.
On Sunday, August 15, 850 people did not report to work at five GM facilities, and by Monday morning, September 16, about 50,000 workers from 33 plants and 22 distribution centers had joined the nationwide strike. This is the most serious protest action since 2007, when after a 54-day strike in Flint, Michigan, the company suffered losses of about two billion dollars.
