Why US Autoworkers Staged Strike and What They Gained: QuickTake

To hear the United Auto Workers’ fiery president, Shawn Fain, tell it, Detroit’s Big Three automakers enjoyed years of lavish profits thanks to concessions made by its workers through the lean years before and after the 2009 recession. So as the UAW’s contract with Ford Motor, General Motors and Chrysler parent Stellantis expired in mid-September, the UAW authorized targeted strikes against all three manufacturers — a historical first. By the end of October, the union had tentative agreements that included record pay increases, an aggressive cap on the use of lower-paid temp workers, and the right ...