UAW Strike: No New Plants Added As Progress Is Made, Union Says

DETROIT — No new plants were added to the ongoing United Auto Workers union strike against Detroit's Big Three on Friday, as the two sides made "significant progress" in recent contract talks, according to United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain.

"We are winning, we are making progress, and we are headed in the right direction," Fain said during a planned "stand up" announcement on Facebook Live.

After threatening to strike at GM's Arlington Assembly, Fain said the automaker agreed to place electric battery manufacturing plants under the national agreement.

"GM has now agreed in writing to place their electric battery manufacturing under our national master agreement," Fain said. "We've been told for months that this is impossible; we've been told that the EV future must be a race to the bottom, and now we've called their bluff."

The news comes after GM made a counteroffer Thursday to the United Auto Workers union in an effort to end the strike against the Detroit automaker. Ford also made a counteroffer on Tuesday that included "putting employees among the top 25 percent of all U.S. jobs, (hourly and salaried) and benefits," according to the automaker.

Fain also said the union made progress with the automakers on important issues, such as the cost of living adjustments, meaningful pay raises, retirement security and work-life balance.

"Everything we've done to this point has been with one goal in mind: to win a record contract that reflects the Big Three's record profits," Fain said.

• See also - 400 Workers Laid Off From 2 Metro Detroit Ford Plants Amid UAW Strike

As of Friday afternoon, roughly 25,000 United Auto Workers members were on strike against Detroit's Big Three. The walkouts are part of a plan United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain calls "Stand Up Strike," which is a strategy to target specific plants.

The historic UAW strike against Detroit's Big Three began on Sept. 8 after the union's contract expired without a new one in place. It's the first time ever the union launched a strike against all three automakers at the same time.

The union is calling on the automakers for a 46 percent wage increase and a 32-hour workweek for its members. The union also wants to eliminate the wage tiered system, restore cost of living adjustments, end temporary workers after 90 days and increase multiple retiree benefits