UAW prepares for a strike of the Big Three that could potentially crumble Motor City

Like two warring kingdoms preparing for the siege of a decade, the United Auto Workers (UAW) and America’s  automotive manufacturing trio, General Motors Co., Ford Motor Co., and Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, are preparing for a strike as the Sept. 14^th contract deadline approaches.

This is not the first time a legitimate concern for a future strike has been mentioned. It has been building for months. The Center for Worker Freedom (CWF) predicted labor unrest in Detroit last year when Dennis Williams was chosen to succeed Bob King on the UAW’s throne.

Williams, now President, has had a year now to prepare his forces and advise his underlings. His career has had him at the forefront of several strikes, including a five-year strike against Caterpillar in the 1990's.

The groundwork was laid even before the UAW’s favorite strike-maker was crowned, as one of King’s last leadership decisions was to fortify the UAW’s siege engine, a one billion dollar war chest. King raised dues by twenty-five percent (to 2.5 work hours) to beef up the strike fund, since it had decreased to $600 million due to shrinking membership.

Though at the time, King protested loudly against allegations that this money was being pooled to fund a strike and claimed that, “the new UAW of the 21^st Century does not need to threaten strikes or set up picket lines to make its point and reach a rational decision.” 

But the Center for Worker Freedom was not fooled; and the CWF’s Tucker Nelson wrote in a January, 2014 post, “so if they are playing nice, why need a larger strike fund.”  The CWF also pointed out, why would they elect a leader that, “does not mind confrontation” (read: strikes)?

Williams has assembled quite the arsenal at his disposal, and is preparing his troops for battle. Local leaders are being instructed to have many strike preparedness meetings and have done so repeatedly over the last several months. Local leaders are also asking workers to stockpile money and food. Some locals are even hoarding non-perishables, readying for a long blockade.

Meanwhile, the automakers have begun their own preparations. The five-year ban on strikes after GM and Fiat Chrysler accepted the government bailout has expired, and the union is itching to cut down the two-level pay model, among other things.

The auto giants are employing both a strategy of appeasement as well as defense. Between the three, the UAW represents over 140,000 workers. GM began by recently announcing billions in new U.S. manufacturing, an attempt to win over the hearts of workers. Now, all three auto companies have ordered a large surplus of vehicles in their most popular brands to be manufactured over the summer. They are stockpiling vehicles should workers walk off the job this year.

In the preparations for the coming fight, there is one largely unnoticed victim; the long-recovering city of Detroit. Can its citizens survive yet another strike while still rebuilding their devastated economy?

Hopefully the car manufacturers as well as the citizens of Detroit are ready because it looks like ‘winter is coming’ earlier this year in Motor City.