Fain Wearing An UAW Eat The Rich Shirt: ‘Our strike is working, but we’re not there yet’

The United Auto Workers (UAW) president Shawn Fain made a bold statement on Friday, October 6, 2023, when he wore a shirt that read “Eat the Rich” during a live update on the ongoing strike against the Big Three automakers: General Motors (GM), Ford, and Stellantis. The shirt, which is a popular slogan among socialists and anti-capitalists, reflects the union’s frustration with the huge gap between the workers and the executives in the auto industry. Fain also announced some major breakthroughs in the negotiations, but warned that the strike is not over yet.

The UAW’s demands and achievements

The UAW has been on strike since mid-September, affecting some plants at GM, Ford, and Stellantis. The union is seeking large pay raises, a return of cost-of-living adjustments, and making it easier for temporary workers to achieve full-time status. The union also wants to secure the future of its members in the face of the industry’s shift to electric vehicles (EVs), which require fewer parts and workers than traditional vehicles.

Fain said that the union has made significant progress in the negotiations, especially with GM. He said that GM has agreed in writing to place its new EV battery plants under the union’s national contract, which would protect the wages and benefits of the workers. He also said that Ford has offered a 23% wage increase, up from 9% initially, and that Stellantis has made concessions on some key issues, such as the right to strike over product commitments and plant closures.

The UAW’s strategy and transparency

The UAW has adopted a different strategy this year, instead of selecting one automaker as its bargaining “target” and then trying to extend the basic terms to the other two companies. The union is negotiating separately with each company, based on their specific situations and challenges. The union is also being more transparent, making more public disclosures about its proposals and achievements with each company.

Fain said that this strategy has put pressure on the automakers, who have tried to trivialize the union’s demands and undermine its credibility. He said that the union has called the automakers’ bluff, and that its plan is winning. He also said that the union is ready to escalate the strike if necessary, and that it almost added GM’s Arlington, Texas plant, which makes some of its most profitable models, to the list of plants being struck.

The UAW’s message and solidarity

The UAW’s message is clear: it wants a fair share of the profits and a secure future for its members. The union is not afraid to challenge the status quo and demand radical changes in the auto industry. The union is also showing solidarity with other workers and movements that are fighting for social justice and economic equality.

Fain’s shirt, which reads “Eat the Rich”, is a symbol of this message and solidarity. It expresses the union’s anger at the huge wealth gap between the workers and the executives in the auto industry, as well as in society at large. It also shows the union’s support for other groups that are challenging the power and privilege of the elite, such as socialists, anti-capitalists, environmentalists, and activists.

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