Local UAW not authorized to strike, GM calls potential strike 'illegal'

United Auto Workers Local 2209 represents the union members at General Motors (GM) Fort Wayne Assembly plant.

After disagreements in personnel decisions, union bargaining chair Rich LeTourneau threatened to strike at the plant. Friday was the deadline LeTourneau imposed on GM to meet his demands, but he did not get permission from the national union to strike. Therefore, union workers have continued working at the plant.

On Sept. 27, LeTourneau refused to sign on to GM’s plan for part time workers, or temps. LeTourneau said the company’s plan to hire them full-time took too long and would not sign a letter that would make them part-time workers “forever.”

Part of the national agreement between GM and UAW, reached after a national strike in 2023, said GM must have a plan to “eventually” hire temps full-time.

The Monday after negotiations between Local 2209 and GM broke down, the old temp agreement expired, and GM laid off 253 temps because it did not have an agreement to transition them to full-time work.

In order to fill those shifts, LeTourneau said GM assigned senior staff to work second and third shifts, which violates the contract between GM and Local 2209.

Letourneau said as he sought permission from the national union to strike, he told GM it had until Friday to get senior staff off those shifts.

He has yet to receive permission to strike from the national union. GM said in a statement it is in compliance with its national and local agreements with UAW and “a strike is neither warranted nor legal in these circumstances.”

Fort Wayne Assembly is GM’s largest plant in Indiana employing 4,300 of its 6,200 employees in the state.

GM did not respond when asked if it was assigning senior staff to work second and third shifts like Local 2209 has claimed.