UAW Stellantis Locals Prepare Grievances Over Company’s Failure to Keep Product Commitments, Paving Way for Strike Action, if Necessary

Several UAW locals representing tens of thousands of workers under the national UAW Stellantis agreement are prepared to file grievances over the company’s failure to keep its investment commitments and honor the union contract, paving the way for a national strike at Stellantis, if necessary. 

For more information, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

“This company made a commitment to autoworkers at Stellantis in our union contract, and we intend to enforce that contract to the full extent," said UAW President Shawn Fain. “On behalf of autoworkers everywhere, we’re standing up against a company that wants to go back on its commitments and drive a race to the bottom at the expense of the American worker.” 

In the 2023 UAW Stellantis agreement, the union won the right to strike over product and investment commitments, and a historic commitment to reopen Belvidere Assembly, which was indefinitely idled in early 2023. Since ratification, the company has gone back on its product commitments at Belvidere, and has been unreceptive in talks with the union to stay on track. 

Aside from the impact on Belvidere, this glaring violation of the contract imperils all of the other investment commitments the company has made, and also impacts Stellantis members nationally, as they will not have those jobs for transfer opportunities in the event of layoffs. 

Under the UAW Stellantis contract, once an issue has been taken through the grievance procedure, the union may authorize a strike over the grievance. UAW Stellantis members are prepared to take action if necessary. 

Some of the largest locals that may file these grievances include UAW Local 12 (Toledo Assembly, Toledo, OH); Local 140 (Warren Truck, Warren, MI); Local 1700 (Sterling Heights Assembly, Sterling Heights, MI); Local 7 (Detroit Assembly Complex – Jefferson, Detroit, MI); Local 51 (Detroit Assembly Complex – Mack, Detroit, MI); Local 685 (Kokomo Transmission, Kokomo, IN); and Local 1166 (Kokomo Casting, Kokomo, IN). Any local covered under the national UAW Stellantis agreement may file these grievances at any time. 

The language of the grievance filed is as follows:

“The Company has informed the Union that it will not launch the Belvidere Consolidated Mopar Mega Hub in 2024, it will not begin stamping operations for the Belvidere Mega Hub in 2025 and it will not begin production of a midsize truck in Belvidere in 2027.  The Company’s failure to plan for, fund and launch these programs constitute a violation of the U.S. Investment letter in the P&M and OC&E Collective Bargaining Agreements.  During 2023 National Negotiations the parties agreed to the investment plan for Belvidere to address job security concerns impacting bargaining unit members throughout the entire system.  The Company’s failure to honor its commitments in the U.S. Investment letter is a serious concern to all bargaining unit members. 

Demand:  The Union demands that the Company rescind its decision to push back the above-referenced launches and immediately plan for and fund the Belvidere investments in order to comply with the agreed upon timeline for launching the Belvidere Mega Hub (2024), the Belvidere Stamping operation (2025) and Belvidere midsize truck production (2027).” 

For more information, visit UAW.org/KeepThePromise.

# # #

JF:sr:opeiu494afl-cio