Workers at General Motors’ (GM) Arlington Assembly Plant in Texas walked off the job Tuesday morning, joining the ongoing strike against the automaker. With the recent walkout at Arlington Assembly, the total number of UAW members on strike against the Detroit Big Three has reached 45,000.
The strike at Arlington Assembly is a notable blow to the automaker, as the facility produces some of GM’s most profitable vehicles. These include the Chevrolet Tahoe, Chevy Suburban, the GMC Yukon, and the Cadillac Escalade.
Local 276 has shut down GM's largest plant, Arlington Assembly!#StandUpUAW pic.twitter.com/kTaWycBZiA
— UAW (@UAW) October 24, 2023
The protest comes on the day GM reported its Q3 2023 earnings. GM’s third-quarter net income dropped 7.3% to $3.06 billion, though revenues increased by 5.4% to $44.1 billion. This, the UAW noted, is a notable sign that it is time for record contracts.
“Another record quarter, another record year. As we’ve said for months: record profits equal record contracts. It’s time GM workers, and the whole working class, get their fair share,” UAW President Shawn Fain said.
In a press release about its most recent protest, the UAW explained how GM’s latest offer was still inadequate.
“Despite having made $10 billion in profits in the past nine months, breaking revenue records for another consecutive quarter, and beating Wall Street expectations, GM’s latest offer fails to reward UAW members for the profits they’ve generated. GM’s offer lags behind Ford, with the company proposing a two-tier wage progression, the weakest 401(k) contribution offer on the table, a deficient COLA, and other shortcomings.
“On the heels of their previous quarter, which set “a post-bankruptcy record” in terms of revenue, it is clear that GM can afford a record contract and do more to repair the harm done by years of falling real wages and declining standards across the Big Three,” the UAW wrote.
The UAW’s strike started on September 15 with a protest at three assembly plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri. The strike has since grown to include eight assembly plants and 38 parts distribution centers in 22 states.
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