UAW expands GM strike to Tennessee plant

Shortly after announcing a tentative agreement with the second of the Detroit Three automakers, the United Auto Workers expanded its strike against the third company, ordering workers to walk out of General Motors Co.'s Spring Hill Assembly Plant in Tennessee, UAW Local 1853 announced Saturday evening on Facebook.

The walkout call was confirmed by GM and a source familiar with the union's plans. The plant is GM's largest manufacturing facility in North America. It produces the Cadillac XT5, XT6 and all-electric Lyriq as well as the GMC Acadia. It employs close to 4,000 hourly and salaried workers, according to the company.

“We are disappointed by the UAW’s action in light of the progress we have made," according to a GM statement shared by spokesperson David Barnas. "We have continued to bargain in good faith with the UAW, and our goal remains to reach an agreement as quickly as possible.”

The walkout came as negotiations continued with GM on Saturday following two back-to-back rounds of late-night talks at the Detroit automaker. UAW President Shawn Fain said Saturday evening the union had struck a tentative agreement with Stellantis NV that follows the economics of a deal reached at Ford Motor Co. that was announced on Wednesday.

That leaves GM as the only Detroit Three automaker without a tentative UAW agreement. Saturday was the 44th day of the strike — the same number of days as the sit-down strike against GM in Flint that resulted in the automaker recognizing the union in 1937. That strike is from which this year's targeted, unprecedented, simultaneous "stand-up" strike against the Detroit Three got its name.

The walkout at Spring Hill was characteristic of Fain's response to the talks that have been ongoing since mid-July, said Marick Masters, a management professor at Wayne State University.

“He’s going to ratchet up the pressure until he gets a deal with them,” he said. “It represents the unconventionality of the approach he is taking. He doesn’t hesitate to use the leverage he has at any point in time. If GM was hesitant in any way and didn’t want to follow the pattern, there was no way the UAW was going to accept it.”

The move also is demonstrative of the union’s calculated strategy with the strike, Masters said. It could’ve taken out the full-size pickup plant in Fort Wayne, Indiana, or the heavy-duty truck plant in Flint.

Spring Hill's propulsion manufacturing operations, however, feeds multiple plants not on strike or laid-off, including Fort Wayne, Lansing Grand River Assembly, Bowling Green Assembly in Kentucky and the Ramos and Silao plants in Mexico.

“He’s been very careful in calibrating the strike impacts at times when he wants based on how much he wants to move the talks,” Masters said. “He must have decided this would be enough.”

But he also has more ammunition if it isn’t, the professor said.

“He’s in the driver’s seat,” Masters said. “He’s not going to let go of the steering wheel. He’s going to push on the accelerator and see how far he needs to go.”

Nearly 15,000 GM autoworkers already were on strike and were left remaining on picket lines after the union told Stellantis workers they could go home following the clinching of a tentative agreement.

In addition to the Tennessee plant, workers are on strike at GM's Wentzville midsize pickup truck and full-size commercial van plant outside St. Louis in Missouri, the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave plant in Delta Township outside Lansing and the full-size SUV plant in Arlington, Texas. Workers across the country at GM's parts distribution centers also are on strike.

GM said Tuesday, before workers at Arlington Assembly plant walked off the job, that the strike had cost it $800 million.

bnoble@detroitnews.com

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