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We're better than that, America: UAW chief Shawn Fain puts pressure on U.S. automakers GM, Ford and Chrysler

Photo: MATTHEW HATCHER / AFP

At first glance, Shawn Fain (52), head of the largest U.S. auto union, the UAW, looks rather inconspicuous with his glasses and blue sweater, from which a white shirt collar peeks out. But his rhetoric is relentless: "By God, when workers demand their fair share, it's the end of the world. This has to stop, we're better than that, America," he says in an interview.

With the demand for the fair share, Fein has the UAW members behind him, who are demanding a wage increase of 36 percent over the next four years because of high inflation and mostly good profits of the automakers. Fein had initially even called for 40 percent, because that's how high the income increases in top management in the industry were. The carmakers offered 20 percent – but that's not what Fein means by "fair share".

The UAW boss, who has only been in office for six months, reacted quickly, harshly and with a step that was unprecedented for the United States: For the first time, the UAW went on strike at the plants of all three major US car companies GM, Ford and the Stellantis brand Chrysler at the same time. Initially, only three plants with a total of 12,700 employees were affected. But the signal is clear: this time the strikes can escalate quickly, Fain leaves no doubt about that.

If the wage dispute is not resolved quickly, it could lead to significant disruptions in automobile production in the United States – with immediate consequences for the US economy. According to Mark Zandi, chief analyst at the rating agency Moody's, the US is even threatened with a recession if US car production is slowed down by a month-long industrial dispute by the end of the year, according to the New York Times.

"Longer than the corporations can withstand"

There is so much at stake in the conflict that even President Joe Biden (80) has joined the power struggle and called on both sides to reach an agreement. Fain, however, is unfazed by this and is ready to go all out. When asked how long the strike should last, he says: "As long as we have to - and a day longer than the corporations can withstand." Fain is determined to use his war chest in full, if necessary: The fund from which the UAW pays strike pay for members contains $825 million.

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