"I don't believe everyone involved is taking it seriously": UAW president on contract talks ahead of next week's strike vote
(CBS DETROIT) - Less than a month before the United Auto Workers' contract with the big three automakers expires, members will vote next week on whether they want their leaders to call strikes.
UAW President Shawn Fain told CBS News Detroit they held a strike conference Thursday morning, and members are fired up and ready to do what they must to get their fair share of this next contract.
"It's criminal that in the greatest economic run of these corporations, that we are still sitting at literally $10 an hour less than we were 16 years ago that was starting pay. There's no excuse for that," Fain said.
Fain was blunt; there's been little progress in contract talks over the last month.
"I don't believe everyone involved is taking it seriously. Obviously, when you have a COO of one of the companies, who is spending two weeks in Acapulco rather than being at the bargaining table," Fain said.
The union demands a minimum forty percent pay raise to align with the CEO pay hikes at Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis in the last four years.
If negotiations continue to move slowly, the picket lines may be inevitable.
Unlike the last strike four years ago, targeting GM, all three companies are fair game this time.
"If we are able to make a deal somewhere and things move, we can shift what we're doing, but the way it is right now, nobody's really stepped up and said they want to lead, nobody's really shown us on the other side that they're willing to get down to business," Fain said. "We got 28 days to get there. So it's going to be here before we know it.
Watch the full interview in the video below: