Surprise Louisville Ford plant walkout marks new phase in UAW Stand Up Strike

34,000 autoworkers now on strike, including those at UAW 2250

By SHERI GASSAWAY
Missouri Correspondent

United Auto Workers unexpectedly expanded its Stand Up Strike last week at one of Ford Motor’s highly profitable SUV and truck plants in Louisville, Ky., where 8,700 workers walked off the job.

“We’re not messing around,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a livestream video to members on Friday, Oct. 13. “A negotiation requires both sides making movement. If they’re not ready to move, we’re going to give them a push in a language they understand – dollars and cents.”

The Louisville Ford strike took place Wednesday, Oct. 11 after Ford requested a Zoom meeting with UAW officials on a new contract. However, Fain said the offer turned out to be the same contract the UAW rejected two weeks earlier.

34,000 AUTOWORKERS NOW ON STRIKE
The UAW Stand Up Strike, the first strike against all Big Three automakers at the same time, is now in its fifth week, with some 34,000 UAW autoworkers out of 146,000 now on strike. The initial action Sept. 14 included strikes at a Ford and Stellantis plant and the GM Assembly plant in Wentzville.

Autoworkers are seeking a 40 percent increase in wages over a four year contract – roughly the same compensation CEOs at the Big Three have received in the last four years. They are also seeking an end to tiers, cost of living adjustments and a 32-hour workweek.

Previously, Fain was announcing planned strikes and actions in Friday livestream videos to members, which is why Wednesday’s announcement came as a surprise. The companies were waiting until Fridays to make their offers.

‘PONY UP’
“This time, we didn’t wait till Friday, and we didn’t wait a minute,” Fain said. “They (Ford) thought they figured out the so-called rules of the game, so we changed the rules. And now there’s only one rule – pony up.

“We’re entering a new phase in this fight, and it demands a new approach. We’re done waiting until Friday to escalate. Today, we’re not announcing an expansion of our strike, but we are prepared at any time to call on more locals to stand up and walk out.”

Shortly after the walkout, Ford put out a statement about how unfair the action was and admitted that the Louisville plant generates $25 billion in revenue a year, which Fain said is $48,000 a minute. “Our labor at Kentucky truck generates more revenue each minute than what thousands of our members make in a year,” Fain added.

HEAD TO THE PICKET LINE
Fain called on all UAW members and allies to head to a picket line to “celebrate these members who are leading the way – not just for our Big Three members or just for the UAW, but for the entire working class.”

If you would like to join UAW Local 2250 on the picket line, stop by one of five gates at the GM Wentzville Assembly plant at 1500 State Highway A, Wentzville, Mo.