The UAW fought hard and strategically to score some of the biggest contract improvements we’ve seen in years during its recent strike against the big three. Now, after weeks of negotiations and tentative deals, there’s doubt about whether the union members will ratify the agreement. The latest blow comes as four GM plants vote no on the new deal.
On Tuesday, 68% of the employees at General Motors Spring Hill, TN assembly plant voted against the UAW deal with the automaker. In essence, they turned down 25% wage increases, a $5,000 bonus at signing, and other benefits. The plant builds the GMC Acadia, Cadillac XT5, and Cadillac Lyriq. They’re only one of two GM plants that said no to this new deal.
The Flint assembly plant in Michigan that builds heavy-duty trucks like the Silverado HD and the Sierra HD also voted it down. Those workers voted the contract down by a slimmer margin of just 52% of workers. Wednesday morning they were joined by GM workers at Bowling Green and Wentzville. Overall, these results will end up factored into a total of UAW workers across all GM facilities so it could be that the deal still goes through.
More: Not All UAW Ford And GM Workers Are Happy With New Contracts
Despite that, there are doubts about the deal at other big automakers too. Workers at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville voted it down by 54.5% according to NPR. “There were a lot of gains,” says Kentucky Truck Plant worker Jenn Thompson, who voted no. “But there were just a few things that I would have liked to have seen in this contract that didn’t make it,” including retiree health care.
That indicates that some workers are willing to continue the strike if it could mean bigger and better benefit packages. On the other side of the coin, it appears that many Stellantis-employed UAW members are in favor of the deal. Early reports suggest that more than 80% approve of it. We should hear the final numbers by the end of next week or close to that.
If the workers vote no overall a few options pop up on the table. The union could go back on strike in hopes that the automakers make better deals. UAW President Shawn Fain has made it clear that the workers make the final decision about what to do at this stage.
More likely though is a scenario where the automakers say this is their “final and best” offer and that workers must take it or leave it. In that case, it would go to a vote again. It’s worth noting that the individual deals aren’t contingent on one another. So for example, the one with Ford could pass and the deals with Stellantis and GM could fail or any combination thereof.
