UAW to expand strike against GM and Stellantis - but not Ford

United Auto Workers has decided to expand its strike against two of the three legacy automakers – General Motors Company (NYSE: GM) and Stellantis NV.

Why is the UAW skipping Ford?

The union is not being as aggressive against Ford Motor Co (NYSE: F), though, because it has shown real interest in “reaching a deal”, as per Shawn Fain – the President of UAW.

Ford, for instance, has agreed to improve profit-sharing and restore cost-of-living adjustments. Nonetheless, there are still a few “serious issues to work through”, Fain added.

But it’s a “different story” at General Motors and Stellantis – and so, the United Auto Workers will now strike against the two at another 38 locations across 20 states.

The expanded strike will add about 5,600 auto workers. Both GM and Stellantis are still in the green at writing.

UAW’s motives are in question

UAW has decided to expand the ongoing strike a day after leaked messages involving Jonah Furman – its communications director invoked questions on motives behind the protests.

The said messages first reported by The Detroit News tag the strike as means of wreaking “recurring reputations damage and operational chaos” on the car manufacturers.

Furman is yet to officially respond to the leaked messages that also quote him as having said in a private group chat on X (formerly known as Twitter):

If we can keep them wounded for months, they don’t know what to do. The beauty is we’ve laid it all out in the public and they’re still helpless to stop it.