"Our members are basically fed up," said Jesse Ramirez, president of UAW Local 230. "Not getting raises, not being treated fair, having a tier system in play."
Now, less than a year after coming to an agreement with Stellantis on a new contract, the United Auto Workers have voted overwhelmingly to authorize another strike, saying the company has failed to follow through on $19 billion in promised investments.
But the company isn't exactly being subtle in its response, announcing it's filing a lawsuit in federal court the day before the union announced its vote.
In an email sent to company employees, Stellantis senior vice president Tobin Williams said:
"The facts are indisputable: the transition to electrification is happening at a slower pace than expected. We knew that slowing consumer EV adoption could potentially delay our product launches and investment decisions...
"We are asking the federal court to declare that the UAW's actions are illegal... This lawsuit would hold both the International and the local union liable for the revenue loss and other damages resulting from lost production due to an unlawful strike."
In a press release, UAW president Shawn Fain said:
"Our members won those investments during the strike, and we will strike again to make Stellantis keep the promise if we have to.
"If Stellantis can give CEO Carlos Tavares a 56% raise and spend billions lavishing rich shareholders with stock buybacks and dividends, then they sure as hell have the money for productive investments in our plants."