United Auto Workers expand strike by hitting Ford’s most profitable plant

United Auto Workers expanded its ongoing strike against Detroit’s Big Three automakers on Wednesday, Oct. 11, as 8,700 employees walked out of Ford’s largest and most profitable plant. The move effectively shut down the Kentucky plant where Ford’s F-series pickup trucks and Ford and Lincoln SUVs are produced.

According to the UAW, the move, called by UAW President Shawn Fain, comes as bargaining talks between the union and Ford have stalled. It has been reported that the latest walkout came after a meeting between Ford executives and UAW President Shawn Fain that lasted about 15 minutes with no progress. 

The latest phase of walkouts comes almost exactly four weeks after the strike began on Sept. 15.

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“We have been crystal clear, and we have waited long enough, but Ford has not gotten the message,” Fain said. “It’s time for a fair contract at Ford and the rest of the Big Three. If they can’t understand that after four weeks, the 8,700 workers shutting down this extremely profitable plant will help them understand it.”

Ford, in a statement, called the move “wrongheaded” and said that the “work stoppage will generate painful aftershocks.”

“The decision by the UAW to call a strike at Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant is grossly irresponsible but unsurprising given the union leadership’s stated strategy of keeping the Detroit 3 wounded for months through ‘reputational damage’ and ‘industrial chaos,'” Ford’s statement read.

Ford went on to say that the company made an “outstanding offer that would make a meaningful positive difference in the quality of life for our 57,000 UAW-represented workers.”

According to the UAW, Fain is set to give an update on negotiations via Facebook Live on Friday, Oct. 13. As it stands, there are 33,700 UAW members on strike across the country.