Auto Strike Hits Massachusetts
The nationwide UAW auto strike hits Massachusetts. The UAW, United Auto Workers union has begun a nationwide worker strike, demanding better deals for workers. The strike has targeted 38 facilities including GM and Stellantis.
UAW Targets Massachusetts Facilities
According to WCVB:
Union members walked out of 38 General Motors and Stellantis parts distribution centers in 20 states. That includes the Stellantis facility on Forbes Boulevard in Mansfield, where union members in red shirts walked with strike signs.
We have all heard of GM, which stands for General Motors, the folks that make our Chevys. Stellantis, is the company behind Jeep, Chrysler and fourteen other brands. How big is Stellantis? Reports say they have 300,000 employees with facilities in THIRTY countries. The UAW did not target Ford, as recent bargaining has gone well.
Local politicians Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren joined the workers at the picket lines, saying that CEO pay increases of 40% prove that the auto companies have the money to give back.
The Cost Of Manufacturing Electric Vehicles
The auto manufacturing world is at an economic and geological crossroads, as nation’s leaders are asking for commitments from automakers to provide zero carbon emissions vehicles in the future. The U.S. Government is asking the auto industry to be 100% zero emission by 2035. To the auto making world, that’s tomorrow.
NPR Radio reports:
The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
The average cost of raw materials — including the cobalt, nickel, and lithium needed to make EV batteries — is now around $8,255 per vehicle, the research said.
That cost represents an increase of more than 140% from the $3,381 in raw materials it cost to make an electric car in March 2020, according to CNBC.
As this auto strike hits Massachusetts we hope there’s a resolution soon!