Washington, D.C. — Today, for the first time in four years, 150,000 United Auto Workers (UAW) members went on strike against the “Big Three” American automakers: Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis. In response, Patrick Gaspard, president and CEO of the Center for American Progress, released the following statement:
The Big Three’s refusal to do right by their workers and support a just transition to electric vehicles is a moral failure. These companies have earned billions of dollars in profit this year alone which resulted in massive returns for their executives while punishing workers with deplorable conditions that were agreed to under threat of bankruptcy
Because of the UAW, American auto jobs have long represented the promise of this country—that if you work hard and play by the rules, the people who build the cars that power our economy by getting Americans to work and goods to market are deserving of a middle-class life. Rather than continue this tradition, the Big Three are playing a dangerous game that kicks dirt in the face of American workers, risks the industry being at a competitive disadvantage globally, and undermines public health.
The Big Three need to end this strike, reinvest in their workers, and put America’s auto industry on the map for decades to come.
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For more information or to speak to an expert, please contact Colin Seeberger at [email protected].