TOLEDO, Ohio — Employees at the Toledo Jeep Assembly Complex were some of the first to walk off the job after the United Auto Workers began their nationwide strike over two weeks ago.
Eighteen days later, the UAW's strike against the Big Three is affecting more than just the people who work at the dozens of plants nationwide where members are striking. It's forcing other local union members off the job, like GM workers at the Toledo Propulsion Systems Plant.
"We don't want to see it get bigger, we don't want to see it progress," said Tammy Golden, executive director of the Toledo Propulsion Systems Plant.
Members at GM's Toledo Propulsion Systems are not on strike, but Golden says her people are off the job too. It comes down to supply and demand. Two of the plants they supply parts to have members on strike.
"We have three different transmissions feeding five different plants," she said. "As the strike progresses, we make decisions based on those strike decisions."
As of Monday, Golden says those decisions mean more than 100 of their employees are off the job. More cuts are likely coming, too.
"We are impacting communities, our stakeholders, our suppliers," she said. "In addition, when one team member is impacted here, we're basically impacting at minimum six other team members that are outside of General Motors."
Golden said the Toledo Propulsion System makes transmissions for mid-size trucks and crossover vehicles within GM. The 8-speed transmissions go to the Wentzville Assembly Plant in Missouri and the 9-speed transmission goes to the Lansing Delta Township Assembly Plant in Michigan.
UAW members at both of those plants are on strike, so work has stopped for Toledo Propulsion employees, too.
GM made its last proposal on Sept. 14, which included wage increases of 21% and inflation protections for team members.
Golden says strikes don't help anyone.
"There's a ripple effect that happens when you're on strike. There are many people impacted, and that disruption, we don't want for anyone," she said.
That sentiment is echoed by UAW Local 14 President Tony Totty. But, he told WTOL 11 that if UAW President Shawn Fain calls for his hall to strike, it would be a "gut punch" to GM, possibly even shutting down the company.