UAW reaches tentative agreement with Stellantis, leaving only GM without deal

The United Auto Workers have reached a tentative contract agreement with Stellantis, the union announced Saturday, edging the labor union closer to ending a 6-week strike that has dented Detroit’s Big 3 automakers and idled thousands of their employees.

The deal with Stellantis — which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram, along with several foreign auto-brands — comes three days after the UAW came to terms with Ford, leaving only General Motors without a contract with the union.

“On day 44 of our stand-up strike, I am honored to announce that our union is again victorious,” UAW President Shawn Fain said in a video posted to social media. 

The agreement with Stellantis, which must still be ratified by UAW members, could bring thousands of workers back to their posts at assembly plants in Michigan and Ohio, and at vehicle parts warehouses across the nation.

Talks between Stellantis and the union, which included Stellantis Chief Operating Officer Mark Stewart and UAW President Shawn Fain “went into the late evening” on Friday, sources close to the negotiations confirmed to CBS News. 

Like workers at Ford, the strikers at Stellantis are expected to take down their picket lines and start returning to work in the coming days before their union members vote.

Acting Labor Secretary Julie A. Su in a statement congratulated “Stellantis and the UAW for their dedication and focus in coming together to reach” a deal.

“This tentative agreement includes a number of important provisions including a commitment to reopen the Belvidere plant in Illinois, which will bring good, union jobs back that community,” Su wrote. “The parties are also charting a future of good middle-class jobs in battery manufacturing, consistent with the President’s vision for a just transition where building a clean economy and creating good union jobs go hand-in-hand.”

But the UAW’s historic strike — the first time the labor group has targeted the Big Three simultaneously — began when thousands of workers walked off the job after their contracts with the automakers expired on Sept. 14. The union’s demands included a 36% wage hike over four years; annual cost-of-living adjustments; pension benefits for all employees; greater job security; and a faster path to full-time status for temporary workers. 

The dispute has also featured tough talk from Fain, who has called out the automaker CEOs for pinching pennies with workers while collecting lavish pay packages. 

The aggressive tactics have yielded noteworthy breakthroughs for the UAW. Under their deal, Ford workers will receive a 25% pay bump over the 4.5-year life of the contract. Meanwhile, GM earlier this month agreed to place electric vehicle battery plants under a national contract with the UAW. Still, workers have also paid the price, with the automakers laying off thousands of employees. 

Workers who participated in the strike have been paid through the union’s strike fund. 

This is a developing story. Check back for updates.