The Role Of The Stand USrike Of 2023 In Organized Labor

The UAW’s history must be considered to fully understand how the Stand Up Strike of 2023 within the Auto Industry played an effective role in Organized Labor. Since the union has existed for 89 years, there have been numerous contests that defined not only the standards for the millions of auto workers in representation but also its character. The earliest movement occurred when workers at General Motors’ Flint, Michigan plant, instigated the infamous sit-down strikes for six weeks in 1937. This effort led to a reconstruction of the industrial and labor industry where General Motors accepted the United Auto Workers and the single bargaining strategy. In the years following, a workers’ sit-down strike was launched against General Motors again

High interest rates and foreign competition challenged the automotive industry along with the union’s growth during 1979. The article, “The 2023 UAW Strike: A Turning Point in Labor History?”, states, “The near bankruptcy of Chrysler and the ‘concession bargaining’ demanded by both government and management led to income stagnation, two-tier wage structures, the end pattern of bargaining, and a sharp decline in union numbers and power.” The text goes on to state, “The UAW, which had once enrolled a million and a half members in the 1970’s, shrank to less than 40,000 working members in the 21st century.” Undoubtedly, a significant Unite All Workers for Democracy (UAWD) was a reform movement that introduced the idea of a campaign for top union officials to be elected. Union members voted for campaign officials in direct elections and the new administration officeholders were in office by

Not only did the strike positively impact wages, but it also expanded the Big Three companies’ employment. President Biden’s Inflation Reduction Act (IRA) presented billions to the auto companies in grants and loans to fund the greenhouse transition. UAW President Shawn Fain ensured that Biden’s greenhouse transition would develop thousands of new, good-paying positions. As a result of the strike against Stellantis, the UAW secured the reopening of Belvidere Assembly, located in Belvidere, Illinois, which was previously closed by management in February 2023. The company also announced plans to open a new battery plant in Belvidere, placing 5,000 additional jobs in the area. In addition to increasing wages and job opportunities, the Stand Up Strike of 2023 is responsible for unionizing the automotive industry. While the Big Three (Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis) oversee the production of 40%, the remaining 60% are built by workers who are not enrolled in the UAW at BMW, Honda, Hyundai, Lucid, Nissan, Mazada, Tesla, Toyota, Volkswagen, and