The United Auto Workers union is accusing Stellantis of backing out of promises the automaker made in its 2023 collective bargaining contract, reached after a weeks-long strike, and says it has the right to strike again if those contract pledges aren’t fulfilled.
“In our 2023 contract, we won major gains, including a commitment to reopen an idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and to build the Dodge Durango in Detroit. We also won the right to strike over those commitments, if we have to,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a statement issued Monday. “Now, Stellantis wants to go back on the deal. As a united UAW, we intend to enforce our contract, and to make Stellantis keep the promise.”
The 2023 contract was forged amidst a “stand-up strike” against all three Detroit automakers that signaled the union’s more aggressive approach to bargaining with Fain at the helm. The UAW has not yet provided details on how it knows about the company’s plans, but the union says Fain plans to address members about the issue on Tuesday evening.
However, the UAW and some of its local divisions have already taken action. On Monday, the union filed federal unfair labor practice charges at the National Labor Relations Board for “Stellantis’ illegal refusal to provide information about the company’s plans regarding product commitments it made in the UAW’s 2023 collective bargaining agreement,” according to a statement. Several UAW locals have also filed grievances “over the company’s attempt to move Dodge Durango production out of the United States, in violation of the UAW’s national agreement.”
Stellantis — the automaker that owns brands like Jeep, Chrysler, and Fiat — said in a statement issued Monday that it has not reviewed the charges filed against the company, and denied violating the collective bargaining contract.
“Like all of our competitors, Stellantis is attempting to carefully manage how and when we bring new vehicles to market with a focus on enhancing our competitiveness and ensuring our future sustainability and growth,” the statement continued. “We will communicate our plans to the UAW at the appropriate time."
