UAW Strike: Lansing’s Delta assembly plant union employees on strike

LANSING, Mich. (WLNS) — UAW President Shawn Fain announced that at a Ford assembly plant in Chicago and the Lansing Delta Township assembly (stamping) plant, union workers “stood up” and began striking at noon Friday. This totals around 7,000 union employees according to Fain.

According to General Motors, the Lansing Delta plant employs 2,847 people, many of whom are UAW members. The Delta plant currently builds the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse. Workers are represented by UAW Local 602 and 652.

“Lansing’s auto workers are the best in the world and have been building cars here for over 125 years,” Lansing Mayor Andy Schor told 6 News. “We are proud of our rich UAW history and the highly-trained workers who keep Lansing and the world on wheels. I have been on the picket line with them this week, listening to their concerns and learning more about everything they are fighting for, including better wages and a fair tier system, among other things. I know they would rather be at work, rolling cars off the lines at the Lansing Delta plant as well as at the distribution plant, and will be ready to do so when a fair and equitable deal is reached.”

The United Auto Workers strikes against Detroit’s big three automakers that spread to dozens of parts distribution centers, including one in Lansing, one week ago may grow worse soon.

The union has vowed to hit automakers harder if it does not receive what it calls substantially improved contract offers as part of an unprecedented, simultaneous labor campaign against Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis.

Union President Shawn Fain told workers on a video appearance Friday that negotiations haven’t broken down but Ford and GM have refused to make meaningful progress. Jeep maker Stellantis was spared from the third round of strikes.

The last major UAW strike in Lansing was also against GM in 2019. That strike lasted 40 days.