The United Autoworkers Union said Friday that it has made good progress in pay talks with Ford (F) -), but will expand strike action at Big Three rivals General Motors (GM) -) and Stellantis (STLA) -) over the coming days.
UAW President Shawn Fain confirmed a Reuters report that suggested the union is making good progress in talks with Ford, which he also said has agreed to reinstate cost-of-living adjustments and quicker pay tier transitions.
Speaking on a Facebook Live broadcast, however, Fain said GM and Stellantis "need pushing" and unveiled new strike action against the two automakers as of noon today, affecting 38 manufacturing sites in 20 different states.
"We will be everywhere from California to Massachusetts, from Oregon to Florida," said Fain.
The UAW and the so-called Big Three carmakers were locked in last-minute talks to avert an expanded strike that could cripple the American auto industry.
Fain had set a Friday noon deadline for expanded strike action unless there is what he calls "significant" progress in pay and pension negotiations with each of the so-called Big Three.
"We continue to negotiate with the UAW and we are bargaining issues by issues - just like we did with Unifor in Canada," Ford said in a statement Friday.
"Our focus is on negotiating a deal that rewards our employees, allows for the continuation of Ford's unique position as the most American automaker and enables Ford to invest and grow. We have more work ahead of us before we can reach an agreement."
Ford shares were marked 3.1% higher in early Friday trading to change hands at $12.58 each. GM shares gained 0.6% to $32.90 each and Stellantis was marked 0.96% higher at $19.52 each.
Around 12,700 workers have been picketing assembly sites around the Midwest, including a Ford plant in Wayne, Mich., a General Motors facility in Wentzville, Mo., and a Jeep plant owned by Stellantis in Toledo, Ohio, for the past eight days.
Each of the Big Three have increased or improved their counter-offers to the UAW over that past two weeks, but remain far apart in terms of overall pay, with Fain demanding a 40% increase, spread over four and a half years, and the automakers offering increases of 20%.
GM president Mark Reuss, in a Wednesday op-ed in the Detroit Free Press, called the UAW's 40% offer "untenable", and warned that strike action will damage the broader economy, reduce carmaker's profits and put union jobs at risk.
“We have delivered a record offer. That is a fact. It rightly rewards our team members, while positioning the company for success in the future," Reuss wrote. "Often in these situations, the clouds of rhetoric can obscure reality.”
Fain has hit back, saying plans to layoff or furlough workers who aren't on strike is merely a tactic to "put the squeeze on our members to settle for less."
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