UAW strike: What it means for the Illinois auto industry

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From Ford’s Chicago Assembly Plant on the city’s Southeast Side to the small river town of Belvidere near Rockford, where the union and the state hope to restart the idled Stellantis Jeep plant, the course of negotiations could dramatically shape the auto industry in Illinois for years to come.

Seeking pay increases, shorter workweeks and improvements to retiree pensions and health care plans amid record profits for the Big Three automakers, the UAW took the unprecedented action of striking against General Motors, Ford and Stellantis simultaneously after a four-year contract expired at midnight Thursday.

“I had my finger on the button to activate our strike committee,” said Chris Pena, president of UAW Local 551. A Ford spokesperson did not respond to questions about the strike or the potential impact on its Chicago operations.UAW Local 551 plans to meet Sunday afternoon at its union hall to discuss the strike and possible next steps, Pena said.

But Gov J.B. Pritzker hasn’t given up hope on convincing Stellantis to stay in Belvidere, offering the company significant incentives to reopen the plant. The state’s toolbox includes the Invest in Illinois Act, which created a $400 million “closing fund” to incentivize EV manufacturers and other businesses to locate, expand or remain in the state through favorable financing.

 

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