Unionized GM workers at Hudson plant to begin striking Friday
United Auto Workers march outside the Stellantis North American Headquarters, Wednesday, Sept. 20, 2023, in Auburn Hills, Mich. (Credit: AP Photo/Carlos Osorio)
(KSTP) The strike involving auto workers across the country is now going to affect workers in Hudson, Wisconsin.
5 EYEWITNESS NEWS has learned from leaders of Local 722 that union workers at the General Motors facility in Hudson, Wisconsin will begin striking at 11 a.m. Meanwhile, workers at Menominee, Wisconsin’s Ford plant will not be striking, according to union leaders.
During a news conference Friday, United Auto Workers (UAW) leaders announced it expanded its strikes against automakers to 38 locations in 20 different states.
As previously reported, the UAW is striking simultaneously at General Motors, Ford and Chrysler owner Stellantis for the first time in its history in an effort to raise wages. The union is pointing to the companies’ huge recent profits as it seeks wage increases of 36% over four years. The companies have offered a little over half that amount. The UAW has other demands, including a 32-hour work week for 40 hours of pay and a restoration of traditional pension plans for newer workers.
The companies say they can’t afford to meet the union’s demands because they need to invest profits in a costly transition from gas-powered cars to electric vehicles.
When the strike first began, it was limited to three assembly plants: a GM factory in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan, near Detroit, and a Jeep plant run by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio. The initial strike involved about 13,000 of the union’s 146,000 members.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.