Workers went on strike Monday at the Michigan plant where Dodge parent company Stellantis produces its highly profitable Ram 1500 series pickup truck, according to the United Auto Workers union.
The walkout at the Sterling Heights Assembly plant marks another significant escalation in the UAW’s concurrent strikes against the “Big Three” automakers, which includes Ford and General Motors. The Sterling Heights facility employs roughly 6,800 Stellantis workers.
The union said in a statement Monday that it had shut down “Stellantis’ largest plant and biggest moneymaker,” and that it did so because the company had the “worst proposal” of the three automakers on the table.
“Despite having the highest revenue, the highest profits (North American and global), the highest profit margins, and the most cash in reserve, Stellantis lags behind both Ford and General Motors in addressing the demands of their UAW workforce,” the union said.
Stellantis could not immediately be reached for comment.
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UAW members launched their strike on Sept. 15 after failing to reach new four-year collective bargaining agreements with all three companies. Citing previous concessions it made to help the automakers in the wake of the financial crisis, the union is looking for significant pay increases, better profit-sharing formulas and stronger job security provisions, among other demands.
Rather than strike all plants at once, the union has opted to walk out at only select plants while gradually broadening the work stoppage to more facilities.
The walkout at Sterling Heights brings the number of workers on strike to around 40,000, the union said. There are a total of roughly 150,000 workers employed under the three contracts.
This is a developing story. Please check back for updates.