Layoffs

The UAW promises to protect the jobs of its members.

However, thousands of UAW members have been laid off since the union signed its latest contract with Detroit’s Big Three automakers. This includes over 1,000 due-paying UAW members who worked at Stellantis (Chrysler) as temporary employees. The UAW promised to “end the abuse of temporary workers” in its 2023 contract with Stellantis, but instead watched as workers were permanently laid off by the company. 

In addition to this, Stellantis recently announced plans to cut two-thirds (over 2,000 people) of the UAW workforce at its truck plant in Warren, Michigan. Notably, these jobs could have been saved by re-allocating overflow work from other plants, but the 2023 contract the UAW signed included provisions allowing overflow work to go abroad rather than staying within the United States. 

Source: Center for Union Facts

Overall, more than 20,000 UAW members at the Big Three have been either temporarily or permanently laid off after the UAW signed its 2023 contracts with the automakers. The UAW often brags about giving its members “record contracts” but it looks a lot more like the UAW’s members are dealing with record layoffs.