Detroit News: Marick Masters on future of Belvidere Assembly Plant
The last of the fifth-generation Jeep Cherokee crossovers is set to roll off the line Tuesday as Belvidere Assembly Plant in Illinois becomes the latest auto plant to face peril — a bellwether signaling the impact of electric vehicles on manufacturing. The future of Belvidere would be a top priority for the UAW in negotiations if it’s still empty by then, and the critical nature of this year’s talks make any of the companies potential strike targets, said Marick Masters, a management professor at Wayne State University. The union sent a militant signal last week when it increased strike pay to $500 per week, a doubling of the amount striking GM members received initially during their 40-day strike in 2019.
