DETROIT — United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Friday that while Detroit’s automakers have increased their wage and benefit offers, he believes the union can gain more if it holds out longer in contract talks.
While Fain said the companies keep touting that they've made record offers to the UAW, he said they're insufficient to make up for how much ground workers have lost during the past two decades. Each time the automakers make an offer, Fain said, they insist it's the best they can do, only to return days later with a better offer.
All three companies have said they cannot increase labor costs to the point where they wouldn't have enough to invest in new vehicles and factories. Fain said GM refused to match Ford's offer to give workers the right to strike over plant closings. Nor have GM and Stellantis matched Ford on restoring cost-of-living increases to 2009 levels.