“Revved Up Resolution: Unions and Ford Kiss and Make Up”
Love and Labor in the Time of EV Production
After a fiery month filled with strikes and spats from workers at Ford, GM, and Stellantis factories, it seems that renegade Romeos at the United Auto Workers (UAW) have finally settled their tiffs with Ford. These orchestras of uproar were timed to perfection, coinciding with the automaking giants’ transition to pumping out more electric vehicles, causing quite the electric surge!
The Price Per Picketers
The strike, far from a leisurely tea break, has plunged the automotive industry into spasms of chaos and cost the companies a rather hefty penny. How many pennies you ask? Oh, only a few hundreds of millions every week. You know, just chump change that could really only buy a couple of small countries.
The ditched production lines and frozen move towards eco-friendly autos leave GM and Stellantis shivering in Ford’s shadow. Surprising nobody, they’re now bearing down under increased pressure to strike a chord with the labor union.
The Sweet Sound of Settlement
Reports are trickling in that Ford and UAW have buried the hatchet, with Ford agreeing to increase wages by a rather lavish 25%, plus give a cheeky nod to cost of living increases. So, the pay bump is definitely more noticeable than a speed bump at a school crossing.
Hot Take:
In this season’s episode of ‘Automakers vs Unions: The Electric Boogaloo,’ it seems that the UAW and Ford have decided to stop fighting like cats and dogs, and instead, share a basket of fish and chips. Which, let’s face it, is quite the upgrade from just chips. Now it will be a gripping wait to see how long it takes GM and Stellantis to stop throwing their toys out of the pram and join the grown-ups’ table. After all, a happy worker is a productive worker, and we need our shiny new electric cars yesterday!