TOLEDO, Ohio — Editor's note: The following story has been updated to include a statement from GM.
Additional Toledo Propulsion Systems employees will be affected by a work stoppage beginning Wednesday due to striking workers at the GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly, to which Toledo Propulsion supplies "critical parts," a union leader said in an alert to employees.
According to an alert to employees from UAW Local 14 President Tony Totty, front-wheel-drive, 9-speed transmission (FWD GF9) employees no longer have work available as a result of the Lansing facility strike. As a result, all FWD GF9 employees, except those who work in heat treat support, should not report to work "until further notice" or unless contacted by a supervisor.
Some Quality and GSC workers are also affected by the stoppage, Totty said.
"As you are aware, our supply chain is very complex," Totty said to workers in the alert message. "In this case, we are unable to ship to our customer plant due to the labor dispute."
The GM Lansing facility was among the two additional plants added to the list of striking Big 3 facilities on Friday.
Employees with questions should contact their benefits representative if they have questions, according to the message, while all other current non-affected employees should report to work as scheduled.
This comes as the UAW strike reaches its 19th day and fewer than two weeks since a prior work stoppage at Toledo Propulsion affected over 100 employees. According to a statement from GM, the stoppage affects 163 additional employees.
In the statement, GM criticized the UAW strike, citing the impact on employees at non-striking facilities:
“It is unfortunate the UAW’s decision to call a strike at GM Lansing Delta Township Assembly continues to have negative ripple effects. An additional 163 represented team members at GM’s Toledo Propulsion Systems facility, which manufactures transmissions for both Wentzville and Lansing Delta Township, will be idled due to no work available.
The impacted team members are not expected to return until the strike has been resolved. Since we are working under an expired labor agreement, there are no provisions for company-provided SUB-pay in this circumstance.
Toledo Propulsion Systems employs nearly 1,400 represented team members, most of whom will continue to work as they provide parts to multiple GM assembly plants. The 163 team members idled at the plant is in addition to the 138 previously idled due to the UAW’s strike at GM Wentzville. Additional impacts to 57 employees who support the affected departments brings the total to 358 impacted employees at Toledo Propulsion Systems.
Overall, the ripple effects due to the UAW leadership’s targeted strikes at GM’s Wentzville and Lansing Delta Township Assembly plants are currently impacting five additional GM plants across four states and more than 2,100 team members:
- Marion Metal Center (Indiana): 34
- Parma Metal Center (Ohio): 130
- Fairfax Assembly (Kansas): 1,585
- Lockport Components (New York): 48
- Toledo Propulsion (Ohio): 358
We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and that effects go well beyond our employees on the plant floor and negatively impact our customers, suppliers and the communities where we do business, such as Toledo. What happened to our Toledo Propulsion Systems team members is a clear and immediate demonstration of that fact. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”
MORE UAW STRIKE COVERAGE FROM WTOL 11