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“Picket Lines Picking Up Steam: UAW’s Walkout Enters Second Week

The United Auto Workers (UAW) continues to maintain its strike with General Motors amidst their failure to reach an agreement that satisfies the workers’ demands. Approximately 48,000 UAW members are protesting in strikes across the United States and Mexico. As the strike continues, UAW has announced new locations to reflect changes as the walkout enters its second week. UAW has limited the amount of numbers for the strikers so their presence can safely demonstrate a range of demands. The organization has now expanded the set of negotiation locations to include Parma Metal Center in Ohio. This is in addition to the four other locations that were previously targeted: Flint Assembly in Michigan, Fort Wayne Assembly in Indiana, and the CAMI Assembly in Ontario, Canada. The dispute of the striking workers is mainly around issues concerning pay, health insurance, and job security. The targeted GM factories employ a large number of permanent and temporary workers. UAW wants to reduce the amount of temporary workers GM is utilizing, and has been asking for more substantial wage and profit-sharing increases. GM has made a latest offer that includes an $8,000 signing bonus and a proposed 3 percent pay raise across the board. However, the UAW has feelings otherwise. Entering the second week, the protest has added more pressure to GM’s operations in the United States and Canada. Arguably, the walkout has been dragging on long enough that GM’s workers are now feeling the effects of it. GM has estimated that the labor walkout can potentially cost the company $2 billion, or $83 million a day and this number could increase with the walkout continuing. At this crucial juncture, it remains to be seen when GM and its workers will come to an agreement. As a result of the addition of more GM facilities to the union’s targets, UAW reiterates its commitment to maintain the strike in order to ensure that workers get the contract they deserve. As the negotiation continues, only time will tell if GM and the UAW come together for an agreement and finally put the strikes to an end.