The United Automobile Workers union on Monday added a large Ram pickup truck plant that employs 6,800 workers in Michigan to its strikes against the three large U.S. automakers.
Union workers walked out of the plant, which is owned by Stellantis, in Sterling Heights, Mich., Monday morning, in the U.A.W.’s latest attempt to pressure the company to offer union members higher wages and better benefits.
“Stellantis has the worst proposal on the table regarding wage progression, temporary worker pay and conversion to full-time, cost-of-living adjustments, and more,” the U.A.W. said in a statement.
In the first six months of this year, Stellantis reported about $12 billion in profit, more than General Motors and Ford Motor combined.
The plant, about 25 miles north of Detroit, makes Ram 1500 pickup trucks, which are big moneymakers for Stellantis.
Altogether about 40,000 workers at Ford, G.M. and Stellantis are on strike across the country. The union is on strike at Ford plants in Michigan, Kentucky and Chicago; a plant in Ohio and spare-parts warehouses owned by Stellantis; and two plants in Michigan and Missouri and warehouses owned by G.M.
This is a developing story. Check back for updates.