Workers at Mass. plant join autoworkers’ strike
Business
Fifty workers at a Stellantis plant in Mansfield walked off the job Friday as part of the nationwide UAW strike.
Fifty auto workers at a Massachusetts parts distribution factory joined the nationwide United Auto Workers (UAW) strike Friday.
The workers, who are employed at a Stellantis facility in Mansfield, walked off the job at noon Friday and formed a picket at the plant’s entrance, according to a Boston Globe report.
The workers joined thousands of UAW members at 38 plants across 20 states who are demanding contracts with higher wages, shorter work weeks, and pensions for newer workers. About 60 workers in total are employed at the Mansfield facility.
The labor group said this week’s 5,600 walkouts were in addition to 13,000 workers who began striking last week. The local UAW chapter announced its involvement in the historic strike in a tweet on Friday morning.
During Friday’s demonstration in Mansfield, striking workers formed a circle outside the plant and chanted, “We are the union, the mighty, mighty union,” the Globe reported.
At one point, picketers clashed with a delivery truck driver as the vehicle pulled into the driveway and slowly made contact with demonstrators. One striker reportedly threatened to sue the driver and slammed his hand into the truck’s hood. Another worker yelled at the driver to “Back up, a–hole!” according to the Globe.
Sen. Elizabeth Warren showed up at the picket line Friday, marching and holding signs in solidarity with the workers.
“When unions win, workers win! Proud to stand with the [UAW],” Warren said on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter.
Auto workers walked out of plants in Michigan, Missouri, and Ohio after UAW’s contract with car companies expired on Sept. 14. It’s the first time the union has held a strike against the “Big Three” automobile manufacturers — Ford, GM, and Stellantis — simultaneously.
President Joe Biden said on X that he plans to visit the UAW picket line in Michigan on Tuesday.
“Tuesday, I’ll go to Michigan to join the picket line and stand in solidarity with the men and women of UAW as they fight for a fair share of the value they helped create,” Biden said. “It’s time for a win-win agreement that keeps American auto manufacturing thriving with well-paid UAW jobs.”
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