STERLING HEIGHTS (WWJ) — UAW members rallied outside the Sterling Heights Assembly Plant on Friday afternoon as the union asks Stellantis to “keep the promise.”
Earlier this week the union threatened a possible strike against Stellantis, saying the automaker is reneging on promises made in the contract the UAW signed after last fall’s stand-up strike.
Several UAW Locals — including four in Metro Detroit — filed grievances against Stellantis, saying the company has failed to keep contractual agreements that included a promise to invest about $5 billion in order to revive the shuttered Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois.
"The Company has informed the Union that it will not launch the Belvidere Consolidated Mopar Mega Hub in 2024, it will not begin stamping operations for the Belvidere Mega Hub in 2025 and it will not begin production of a midsize truck in Belvidere in 2027,” UAW officials said Monday, adding that the company’s “failure to plan for, fund and launch” these programs violate their contract.
In an “FAQ” section posted to the UAW’s website on Monday, the union posed the question, “if the company is trying to break a promise in Belvidere, Illinois, why are Stellantis workers at other plants involved?”
The answer reads: “Stellantis has made investment commitments in all of our plants. If the company won’t keep their word in Belvidere, why would they keep their word about any of the $18 billion in investment commitments they made? We all have to stick together to hold Stellantis accountable.”
That’s why auto workers gathered outside the Sterling Heights plant Friday afternoon — to prevent this from potentially happening at other plants.
Michael Spencer, President of UAW Local 1700, told WWJ’s Darrylin Horne he wants Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares to “just slow down.”
“Stop. Think. Just think about the shareholders, think about the communities, the people and your customers. Every decision you make affects them,” Spencer said.
Spencer also said he reached out for a sitdown meeting with Tavares two weeks ago, but he has not heard back.
The UAW is hoping to avoid a strike, Spencer said.
Friday’s demonstration did not involve any work stoppages, but the UAW instead called it an “informational rally.”
WWJ AutoBeat Reporter Jeff Gilbert says Stellantis officials, meanwhile, are saying the moves the company has been making are to “ensure the company’s future competitiveness and will save manufacturing jobs in the long run.”
“They said they feel issues with the union can be solved with what they call ‘a productive, respectful and forward-looking dialogue,’” Gilbert reported Friday.
The automaker also says it’s committed to making the changes — including job cuts — that are needed in order to improve its North American operations, Gilbert said.
Tavares has said the Sterling Heights plant has too many vehicles that aren't built right the first time.
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