WASHINGTON, D.C. — With no immediate end in sight, the United Auto Workers’ strike could soon cause significant disruptions and delays for car production nationwide.
This comes as another 5,600 workers join the picket lines across the country.
“It’s all for a better contract and it will help us, you know, move forward as a UAW, so whatever helps us get that good contract, I’m all for it,” said Eric Price, President of UAW Local 651.
While there’s been some progress with Ford, the dispute between the UAW and the other two major automakers, GM and Stellantis, continues.
“We will shut down parts distribution until those two companies come to their senses and come to the table with a serious offer,” said Shawn Fain, UAW President.
Now some experts warn the longer the strikes go on, the worse things could get for more than just the big three automakers.
“It’s going to have an impact on the economic growth. It will have an impact on employment, and it will have an impact on inflation,” said Dr. Amit Arora, School of Business at the University of the District of Columbia.
Dr. Arora teaches supply chain management at the University of the District of Columbia. He predicts the immediate impact will affect the service departments at dealerships.
“If we look at the dealerships, we’ve got like more than 10,000 dealerships across the big three, so all of them get affected,” he said. “And it’s not just the workers, you’re looking at the workers’ families and whole communities.”
David Jacobs, a professor at Kogod School of Business at American University, said another concern is the impact on the used car market. It comes after major price increases during the pandemic.
“Because of the absence of parts that may be immediate, and particular models are going to take a hit,” said Jacobs. “This is high stakes. And it is high stakes for all of us. You know, obviously, it’s going to affect the profits of the auto companies and their own models and their future lines.
This week, both President Biden and former President Donald Trump will make separate visits to the autoworkers’ picket lines in Michigan.
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