Following the UAW Rally today, Stellantis reiterated its position and the facts regarding allegations UAW President Shawn Fain continues to make, further spreading misinformation to the members he represents.
Fact: Letter 311, the Investment Letter, in the 2023 collective bargaining agreement, which was negotiated and ratified by UAW members, clearly states that all planned investments are subject to business factor contingencies including market conditions and consumer demand, and company approval. The investments and timelines are not absolute guarantees.
Fact: There is indisputable volatility in the market, especially as the industry transitions to an electrified future. Over the past year, numerous companies across the industry have announced investment and product delays as well as outright product cancelations. This is information that the company has repeatedly shared with the UAW and that they have acknowledged. The evidence of a dramatic transformation in the industry and its effects on the market is clear.
Fact: The company confirmed a delay – not a cancellation, as Fain recently suggested – of the plans for the Belvidere plant allocations. This decision is consistent with the current challenging automotive landscape and the plain language of Letter 311. The company remains committed to investing in the U.S. to create jobs and support our communities.
Fact: Because of the delay in the Belvidere plant allocations, the company has presented the UAW with a nearer term alternative for the Mega Hub that would mean more favorable employment options for many UAW-represented employees even though it would require more investment by the company.
Fact: The UAW does not have the legal right to strike via pending grievances over investment decisions the Company is making based on the business factor contingencies in Letter 311. Because the UAW’s grievances ignore those contingencies, which are clearly established in the 2023 agreement that was negotiated and ratified by UAW members, they are invalid in the Company’s view.
Fact: A strike right now has the potential to further weaken the company at a critical time.
“Let me be crystal clear, we have abided by and will continue to abide by the 2023 collective bargaining agreement,” said Carlos Zarlenga, COO, Stellantis North America. “It is in everyone’s best interest to have a healthy company that can compete in a global marketplace. This is a time for us to work together, not against each other.”
SOURCE: Stellantis
