The Big 3’s Layoff Power During Auto Workers Strike: Explained

Layoffs have begun in response to the United Auto Workers’ selective strike at a handful of Big 3 facilities, revealing the intricacies of employer power and labor rights during the high-stakes discussions for new labor deals.

Ford Motor Co. temporarily sent packing about 600 non-striking workers at a plant in Michigan, and General Motors Co. has warned it could lay off 2,000 non-striking workers at a Kansas City, Kan., location. Each company cited internal supply chain issues due to a lack of parts needed for certain assembly workers to do their jobs.

But the legality of the layoffs—and future automaker ...