TOLEDO, Ohio — Members of the United Auto Workers union have been on strike for four full weeks. Workers at Stellantis' Toledo North Assembly Plant were among the first to walk off the job on Sept. 15.
Employees of General Motors Propulsion Systems in west Toledo are not on strike. However, many of them are not working.
"My son is out of work. My sister's out of work. They make parts for Jeep, bumpers for Jeep," said GM Propulsion System worker and UAW Local 14 member Kelly Williams. "Just everybody needs to get back to work. Everybody's ready to come back."
Work on the 8-speed transmission dried up when UAW President Shawn Fain idled the Wentzville plant in Missouri more than three weeks ago. That led to nearly 300 workers on both first and second shifts being affected by a work stoppage.
It's not a layoff. Yet, because there's no work due to the strike, the UAW pays out $500 a week in strike pay.
"Some people aren't as fortunate to get strike benefits like we are. So, you know everybody's ready to go back to work," Williams said.
Local 14's leadership is working to make the best of the situation. They came up with a way to share the burden and General Motors approved.
"We're doing this to share sacrifice. It would be unfair for us to have just one shift out for the duration of the strike," said UAW Local 14 president Tony Totty.
The shared sacrifice involves rotating shifts. Every two weeks, 140 UAW members who work first shift are idled and they get strike pay.
The other 140 workers on second shift are on the lines. They earn their regular rates.
Then, they switch. First shift goes back to work and second shift will idle, taking the strike pay.
"Our members understand why we are doing this and they're in good spirits as they're doing it," Totty said.
Williams said while not everyone is on board, it's a way for union brothers and sisters to look out for one another.
"Some agree with it and some are kind of like , they don't want to be out. Some people don't want to be out at all. But you know, we got to be doing this for us," Williams said. "I've been with General Motors for 25 years and I've only been through one strike so, I got to support my union."
Totty says there is no strike line outside the GM Propulsion Systems facility because the workers are not on strike. UAW Local 14 members who are not working either join other striking members in Ohio or Michigan or perform community service.
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