PARMA, Ohio — UAW chapters in Northeast Ohio say picket signs are ready to go if a deal for a new contract isn't made with Detroit's automakers before midnight.
Just hours before the deadline, 3News chatted with Dan Mansky, a worker at the GM plant in Parma. He's worked for the company for almost three decades.
"All they do is take and take," he said of GM executives. "They really don't care about us workers."
He said that's why he's ready to strike with his fellow United Auto Workers members at 11:59 Thursday night if a fair contract negotiation can't be made. Mansky added that recent contracts haven't been enough compensation.
"It's just not keeping up with the times," he said. "The cost of everything is going up and our wages are flat. I mean everything's double. I can't buy what we build. Our wages have been stagnant. I’ve had 27 years with the company and I don't even make $4 more an hour in 15 years.”
Mansky is a member of UAW Local 1005 in Parma. Its president, Dan Schwartz, told 3News that among their demands of GM, Ford, and Stellantis are increased wages, cost of living adjustments, and better work/life balance.
In a 10 p.m. live stream on Thursday night to local chapter leaders, UAW President Shawn Fain said the union planned to go on strike at three vehicle assembly plants should a deal not be reached.
The factories include a General Motors assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri, a Ford factory in Wayne Michigan, near Detroit, and a Stellantis Jeep plant in Toledo, Ohio. Only assembly and paint shop workers will walk out at the Ford plant.
Schwartz told 3News his 900 members are ready if they're given the go ahead.
“We don't know how long we're going to go, but we're prepared to go and take action and we're prepared to go out and fight for what we deserve for as long as we need to," he said.
GM's CEO sent workers what they called a historic and record offer Thursday. It included a 20% wage increase over the life of the agreement, with temporary workers getting a wage increase to $20.
3News asked UAW Local 1005 what they thought of this latest offer. Financial Secretary Matt McLaughlin said it's "eye-opening" but he unsure if that will be enough to tip the needle to a tentative agreement.
