More convoy rallies cap off Day 15 of UAW strike as it expands
(CBS DETROIT) - At the end of Day 15, United Auto Workers union members united once again for their second convoy on Friday.
Many of those members were forced to cope with the fallout of not coming to an agreement with Detroit's big three automakers.
Geoff Booth, who led both solidarity convoys on Friday, says he took matters into his own hands, knowing $500 worth of strike pay was going to get it done for him and his family.
"I actually took out a small personal loan, and I'm comfortable for a good while," Booth says.
The began with a message from UAW President Shawn Fain after 7,000 more UAW workers walked out and joined the picket lines.
"This morning, we will be announcing the next targets for our stand-up strike as we fight for a historic victory with the Big Three," Fain said.
The announcement came as the strike expanded at a Ford Plant in Chicago and at GM Plant in East Lansing.
But for Stellantis, no strike expansion for the automaker after talks towards a deal progressed.
In Detroit, a convoy of UAW workers, the majority from the Jeep plant in Toledo, rallied together at the UAW Solidarity House. There, Fain also joined hundreds of union workers on strike.
Chriss Haddad works at the Jeep plant in Toledo and was at the convoy. He says while fighting for a new deal is what he supports, he is not sure how long he could last without earning a full paycheck.
"We don't want to strike, we want to work," Haddad says.
Others at the second convoy say Friday was the first time they received strike pay since joining the picket lines. And while it may not be feasible in the long run, Booth says he is willing to wait it out as long as it means more pay and better benefits.
"If we have to go a little bit longer, will go a little bit longer," he said.
Looking ahead, Fain says the union and the automakers remain in active negotiations.