Strike deadline looms: UAW, Big Three down to final hours to find deal

Contract negotiations between the United Auto Workers (UAW) union and the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, General Motors and Stellantis — are mere hours away from the much-anticipated deadline.

The stakes are high: An overwhelming majority of UAW members voted last month to authorize a strike on all three automakers if a deal isn’t reached before 11:59 p.m. Thursday.

The union’s demands include higher wages, restoring pensions, a shorter work week and job security guarantees. 

“We do not yet have offers on the table that reflect the sacrifices and contributions our members have made to these companies,” UAW President Shawn Fain said during a Facebook Live event Wednesday.

Fain is expected to appear on another Facebook livestream at 10 p.m. Thursday.

Automakers argue the proposals are neither affordable nor realistic, especially as they make massive investments in the transition to electric vehicles.

UAW has reportedly denied counterproposals from each of the three companies. GM upped its initial offer ahead of the deadline Thursday.

“Today, we put a compelling and unprecedented economic package on the table that reflects the significance of this critical moment,” GM Chairwoman and CEO Mary Barra said in a statement issued Thursday.

A Stellantis spokesperson pointed The Hill to the company’s most recent statement by Senior Vice President Tobin Williams, who said Wednesday that the company’s “focus remains on bargaining in good faith to have a tentative agreement on the table” before the deadline.

Neither Ford nor the UAW immediately returned The Hill’s requests for comment.

The union has pointed to skyrocketing profits and CEO compensation in recent years at the three auto giants.

“To win, we’re likely going to have to take action. We are preparing to strike these companies in a way they’ve never seen before,” Fain said Wednesday.