Auto Strike Continues

Ford Motor Co. announced additional layoffs yesterday of 150 workers, bringing the total number of affected Ford employees to over 2,730, as the United Auto Workers' strike enters its sixth week. The strike began Sept. 15 and involves approximately 34,000 union members from the Big Three: Ford, General Motors Co., and Stellantis (formerly Fiat Chrysler), impacting facilities across 22 states.

Last week, the strike expanded to the Kentucky Truck Plant, the largest and most profitable Ford facility, generating $25B per year, with 8,700 union members joining the picket lines and posing a daily profit loss of around $30M. The union is pursuing various demands, including double-digit wage increases, the restoration of pension plans, and more. See an explainer on the strike here.

The strike's effects continue to ripple through the auto industry, jeopardizing smaller suppliers and disrupting industry operations. In addition to the autoworkers on strike, the Big Three is said to have laid off more than 6,000 workers.