HENDERSON, Ky (WEHT) – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin released a statement on the news that the United Auto Workers (UAW) have announced a simultaneous strike against the Big Three auto manufacturers: General Motors, Stellantis and Ford.
“Since it was founded nearly 90 years ago, UAW has fought for—and won—victories that have helped to strengthen America’s working families, including better pay for its members, employer-funded pensions, health insurance, educational benefits and more,” Durbin said. “Today, thousands of UAW workers are fighting for better wages, better benefits, and safer working conditions. I urge the Big Three and UAW to work in good faith to reach an agreement that is fair to workers, and includes a restoration of the benefits that autoworkers sacrificed more than a decade ago to keep these families afloat.”
Nearly 13,000 UAW members walked off the job at once in Wayne, Michigan, Toledo, Ohio and Wentzville, Missouri at midnight when new terms of a labor contract failed to materialize.
UAW members, led by leader Shawn Fain, have several demands that include a shorter work week, defined benefit pensions, reinstatement of cost-of-living allowances to account for inflation and more.
As of Friday afternoon, no Kentucky or Indiana plants have been affected by the strike.
