Practice picket takes place outside Stellantis Plant
(CBS DETROIT) - Practice picketing took place in Detroit outside of the Stellantis Mack Assembly Plant as a union vote to authorize a strike is set to conclude on Thursday.
All votes will be collected by the end of the day on Aug. 24, and members could be seen practicing Wednesday afternoon for a possible strike.
"It's just like working out, man. You know, if you work out every day and you have muscles, when it comes time to use them, you got them," said Jaron Garza, one of the many members in attendance for Wednesday's practice picket.
UAW president Shawn Fain could be found among the crowd, taking photos and getting the crowd fired up beforehand, as he, too, practiced striking with all of the members in attendance.
With only weeks until the union's contract with the Big Three expires, Fain says it's on them to get the wheels moving on a new contract.
"They need to come to the table, and it's up to them to deliver for the workers, but we want our standards, no matter how it plays out, we want our standards in those jobs," Fain said after the practice picket concluded.
"There is a path to an agreement, but it requires a delicate balancing of different economic interests, and they'll have to find that sweet spot," said Marick Master, Wayne State University professor of Business.
Masters says if there isn't a so-called sweet spot that can be found, there isn't much hope for either the UAW or Big Three and a strike will ensue. Masters adds that neither party will get all that they want.
"It's important to remember, the union's asked for a lot, but the companies like Stellantis has asked for a lot. When you look at those two things at one point in time, they look pretty far apart, but that's common in negotiations, and you have to figure out what's most important (and) what can you get and what moves the needle forward to a settlement," Masters said.
