UAW members rally in Sterling Heights over Stellantis job cut concerns

Posted by Admin October 3, 2024 Jobs

United Auto Workers members and leaders rallied Thursday in Sterling Heights as part of a campaign to continue to put pressure on Stellantis to reopen the Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois and keep Dodge Durango production in Detroit.

Outside the UAW Local 1264, about 400 UAW members listened to speeches from UAW leadership, including UAW President Shawn Fain, and chanted, “Keep the promise” and “Fire Tavares” (Carlos Tavares is the CEO of Stellantis, the automaker that owns the Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat brands). They then marched about a half mile to Stellantis’ Sterling Stamping Plant.

“Are you ready to do whatever we have to do to save American jobs,” Fain asked the crowd. “This is our generation’s defining moment. Over this last year, we moved a lot of mountains but we’ve got more mountains to move.”

Following the rally, Stellantis said in a news release that Fain is “spreading misinformation to the members he represents.” Citing “indisputable volatility in the market, especially as the industry transitions to an electrified future,” Stellantis said the the contract says all planned investments are subject to business factor contingencies, including market conditions and consumer demand.

Stellantis said while the reopening of the Belvidere Assembly Plant has been delayed, it has presented the UAW “with a nearer term alternative for the (Belvidere Consolidated Mopar) Mega Hub that would mean more favorable employment options for many UAW-represented employees even though it would require more investment by the company.”

The company has been pushing back against the union’s claims, although it has acknowledged it plans to cut a shift at Warren Truck this year and won’t say whether it intends to move Dodge Durango production from Detroit to Windsor, Ontario.

Last week, the automaker, citing market conditions and vehicle affordability needs, also said it plans indefinite layoffs of union-represented workers “across its footprint” as well as terminating supplemental workers at many of its U.S. manufacturing plants but declined to provide specifics.

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The UAW is urging its members at Stellantis to get ready to OK a strike against the automaker.

“If it takes a fight, we’re willing to fight,” Fain said at the rally. “If it takes a strike, we’re willing to strike.”

Terrance Hill, 36, an employee at Sterling Stamping, attended the rally because he’s worried about his job. The Sterling Heights resident has worked for Stellantis for three years.

“It’s terrible,” he said. “The company is doing us wrong for no reason.”

(This story was updated because an earlier version included an inaccuracy.)

Contact Adrienne Roberts: amroberts@freepress.com