Members of the United Auto Workers at a major plant for Detroit Big Three automaker Stellantis (STLA) have voted to authorize a strike over a litany of different issues affecting their factory.
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A worker handles a door at Stellantis’ Warren Stamping Plant in Warren, Michigan.
Bill Pugliano/Getty Images
According to a statement given out by the UAW on the evening of May 6, workers at the Warren Stamping Plant in the suburbs of Detroit, Michigan have voted to authorize a strike over glaring health and safety issues present at the plant.
Workers at the Warren, Michigan plant said that they want resolutions to unresolved issues at the factory ranging from problems with ventilation fans, lack of ergonomic matting, personal protective equipment, flooding, basement lighting and flooring, restrooms, oil leaks and overall sanitation.
“We have a plethora of things that need to be taken care of at Warren Stamping,” UAW Local 869 president Romaine McKinney III said in a recently released video. “A lot of the issues stem from roof leaks, not having gloves, not being able to work with a partner.”
The UAW did not disclose the full results of the vote count and did not indicate when it would launch a strike. However, a recent statement from Stellantis said that negotiations are continuing.
“While the members of UAW Local 869 from Stellantis’ Warren (Michigan) Stamping Plant have voted to authorize a strike, discussions between the company and UAW are ongoing and employees are still at work,” Stellantis spokeswoman Ann Marie Fortunate said. “Stellantis remains committed to providing a safe and healthy work environment for all employees and resolving this matter without a work stoppage.”
Trucks displayed near an entrance to the Stellantis Warren Stamping Plant in Warren, Michigan, US, on Sunday, May 5, 2024.
Warren Stamping is a plant that supplies parts for a significant portion of Stellantis’ catalogue of cars and light trucks, including some of its most profitable models like the Dodge Durango, Chrysler Pacifica, RAM 1500, as well as the Jeep Gladiator, Grand Cherokee, Wrangler, Wagoneer and Grand Wagoneer.
The parts stamped at the factory include major body components such hoods, roofs, liftgates, side apertures, fenders and floor pans.
According to the UAW, a strike “could particularly impact production” of Ram trucks, as well as Jeep’s Wrangler and Wagoner models.
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In October 2023, the UAW and Stellantis negotiated landmark resolutions, guaranteeing significant wage increases for workers across Detroit’s Big Three and empowering the voices of automotive workers. UAW Local 869 president Romaine McKinney III emphasized that the negotiations that are taking place at Warren are meant to empower and show the collective voices of the the workers he was voted to represent.
“Not only do we want these health and safety grievances resolved, we want our members to leave the same way they came,” McKinney said in a video. “We want members to understand they’re not just a number or just a body on the line. They will come to work and feel like they have some ownership in that building.”
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