Shawn Fain, president of the United Auto Workers Union, has told NBC News it was a shame that negotiations broke down but that his members were striking for economic justice.
“We didn’t want to be here. We want a fair agreement. We want fair economic and social justice for our members. That’s what this is all about. And it’s a shame,” he said, speaking at a Ford Assembly Plant in Michigan.
Fain said the bargaining committee had delayed and “dragged out” negotiations on pay but added that the wider issue was how the industry transitions to electric cars in a way that’s fair for workers.
Asked whether a 20% pay-rise might sound attractive to most American workers, Fain argued that the price of cars has risen 30% in the last four years while auto industry CEOs’ pay has gone up by 40%.
The union also wants an end to forced overtime. Under the contract that expired Thursday, workers could be forced to work seven days a week for months at a time. And the union wants limits or an end to the use of temporary workers, who are paid roughly half of what senior workers are paid.
The UAW is also pushing for more time off, including raising the idea of a four-day, 32-hour work week without a drop in pay.
But beyond issues of pay and benefits, among the biggest issues underlying the talks is the union’s concerns about job losses and plant closings. By the union’s count, the three automakers have closed 65 plants so far this century, due to a combination of automation, outsourcing and the loss of market share to nonunion automakers.