UAW's rift with Stellantis raises fear that some US auto jobs could vanish
U.S. autoworkers warn that a dispute between their union and Stellantis over delays in reopening a shuttered factory in Belvidere, Illinois, is much bigger than that one plant
STERLING HEIGHTS, Mich. (AP) — To Ruth Breeden, who assembles Ram trucks in this Detroit suburb, a simmering dispute between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis isn't merely about whether her employer will reopen a distant factory in Illinois. To her, the standoff is a danger sign for all UAW workers.
Stellantis had pledged to reopen the factory in Belvidere, Illinois, under a contract it forged last year with the union. But the reopening was delayed given what the company calls unfavorable “market conditions."
Stellantis says it will eventually reopen the plant. But no date has been given to restart it or open a new battery plant and a parts warehouse, both of which were also promised in the contract that ended the UAW's strike against Stellantis last year. At stake are over 2,700 jobs.
Breeden and other union members fear that Stellantis will break other commitments, jeopardizing their jobs.
