Historic UAW strike continues: Father, daughter speak from the picket line
WAYNE, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - On Monday, it was family bonding for Mike and Isabella on the picket line outside the Ford Assembly Plant in Wayne.
There is still no agreement between the Big Three and the UAW, as they are on day four of the strike. Six hundred people have been temporarily laid off from the Ford Assembly Plant on Michigan Avenue in Wayne.
President Joe Biden is sending two top aides to Detroit this week to try and help resolve the strike.
Mike has been a member of the UAW for nearly three decades. He's on strike to help the younger crowd like his niece Isabella.
Mike and Isabella didn't share their last name with CBS Detroit for fear of their job.
"This is my first day picketing," said Isabella. "So, I am excited to be here for that, and I am not sure where it's going to go, but I have high hopes."
Isabella is one of the more than 146,000 UAW members who hope they'll get a significant bump in pay, around 36%, have their pensions restored, and receive better benefits.
She's been at the Ford Assembly Plant for two and a half years and says she'll be on the picket lines for as long as necessary.
"There's a reason we are out here," said Isabella. "It's to get what we need and deserve, and I think things are going to go well; it'll just take some time."
Time is on Mike's side, as he, along with countless others say they are here to support those who have been victims of bad management.
"They got younger people running the show, so they got a different attitude toward you, thinking you're an idiot," said Mike.
He said these contract talks will set a precedent going forward.
"Oh, it's very crucial," said Mike. "This is setting a baseline for the rest of the country for how things are done with everybody else."
Not everybody within UAW is striking, but as the weeks go on, more people will be on the picket line.
Unifor, the union representing autoworkers in Canada is preparing to go on strike against Ford on Monday night.