The United Auto Workers just launched contract negotiations with the Big Three North American automakers, and few will be surprised if the result is a strike.
It almost doesn’t matter if Stellantis, Ford and General Motors make a generous offer, as they did during the 2019 negotiations that ended with a six-week walkout against GM.
For starters, union members are still reeling from a bribery and kickback scandal that resulted in convictions of UAW bosses caught selling out their rank and file for personal gain. The current UAW leadership remains untested, and forcing a strike may be the only way to prove to its membership that it is getting the best possible bargain.
