X

Three weeks into strike, UAW says GM talks took a wrong turn

The UAW released an update on Sunday saying negotiations have "taken a turn for the worse."

Sean Szymkowski
It all started with Gran Turismo. From those early PlayStation days, Sean was drawn to anything with four wheels. Prior to joining the Roadshow team, he was a freelance contributor for Motor Authority, The Car Connection and Green Car Reports. As for what's in the garage, Sean owns a 2016 Chevrolet SS, and yes, it has Holden badges.
Sean Szymkowski
2 min read
UAW GM Strike
SOPA Images/Getty Images

The UAW-GM strike has entered day 22 with no sight to coming to a close after the latest update from the auto union. On Sunday morning, the union published a letter from Terry Dittes, vice president of and director of the union's GM department, that stated negotiations have "taken a turn for the worse."

The update follows news that both sides began to make good progress in hashing out agreements on a number of issues in a big step toward a tentative agreement. However, according to the latter, the UAW submitted its latest package proposal this past Saturday. On Sunday, Dittes said GM failed to respond to the proposal and instead returned to their previously rejected proposal.

"It did nothing to provide job security during the term of this agreement," Dittes wrote in part.

said in its latest statement on the negotiations, "We continue to negotiate in good faith with very good proposals that benefit employees today and builds a stronger future for all of us. We are committed to continuing discussions around the clock to reach a resolution."

The letter named wages, signing bonuses, job security, pensions, skilled trades, profit sharing, and transfer rights as some of the major issues GM has, in the UAW's view, failed to address in its proposals.

With the strike now in its third week, GM has previously confirmed production at Mexico facilities is now impacted. Plants that build pickup trucks and transmissions in the country have ground to a halt. The automaker said in a previous statement that 6,000 workers are affected after ceasing production.

The strike is quickly turning into one of the longest in modern history. Should progress continue to stall, the strike could quickly start to rival the 1998 strike where workers were off the job for 54 days.

Going for a spin in GM's 360-degree simulator

See all photos
Watch this: 2020 Chevy Silverado HD is a 35,500-pound-towing brute