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UAW members say picketing gets harder the longer they go without a contract

Workers at the Toledo Assembly Complex have been on strike for more than a month. They say support has been great, but it's starting to take a financial toll.

TOLEDO, Ohio — The United Auto Workers have been on strike for more than a month and Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex workers say the support they have received has been great.

But standing on the picket line gets harder as the days add up, said Erika Mitchell, who has worked at Jeep for almost 10 years.

"It's rough, I'm going to be honest. It's rough because you never know what can happen," Mitchell said.

Each day without UAW and the Big Three agreeing on a contract takes a toll.

Angie McLaughlin, a 10-year employee of Jeep, said she is feeling overwhelmed due to the financial stress being on strike can cause.

With strike pay at $500 a week, families say they've already made changes to help make ends meet.

"Doing Lyft rides and stuff like that to try to help out and make a few things more financially stable," said Shannon Hickle-Wyatt, who has also worked at Jeep for 10 years. "Because we are off of work I've cut back on a lot of expenses."

The longer they strike, the harder it gets. But it's a sacrifice they say they're willing to make, McLaughlin said.

"We've got people out here, single families, trying to make it happen. It's just a struggle. We shouldn't have to do that when we've got the CEO making millions," McLaughlin said.

After making concessions in previous contracts to help the automakers, UAW members say it's time to get what they deserve.

"COLA, pensions, those are the main things we've been asking for," Mitchell said. "We want to be equally paid for the work that we do. And we want other people, like our supplement workers, they work just as much as we do."

A month may seem like a long time, but some UAW members say they've waited even longer for a fair contract. That's why they say they will stand firm until the Big Three comes back with a better deal.

"Whatever we endure, it will benefit our children. It will benefit our children's children," Hickle-Wyatt said. "This is a fight that's not just for the current Jeep workers. This is a fight for the future Jeep workers."

According to the Associated Press, Bill Ford, the executive chairman of Ford Motor Co., called for an end to the strike on Monday, saying it could hinder the automaker's spending on new vehicles and harm its investing in factories.

Ford also said the continued strike would hurt not only his company, but the auto industry as a whole.

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