Carmakers Weather $2.9 Billion UAW Strike Chaos With Cost Cuts

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain’s unprecedented decision to attack all three of the big Detroit automakers at once in a chaotic six weeks of targeted strikes appears to have paid off for workers, yielding deals richer than the union has realized in decades.

Now, after the companies have seen combined losses of about $2.9 billion, the question becomes whether they can thrive under the contract terms.

Early indications suggest that gains won by the union’s 146,000 members will not be as much of a blow to Ford Motor Co., Chrysler-parent Stellantis NV and General Motors Co. as early ...