The ongoing nationwide strike targeting the U.S.’s major automakers — General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis — reached the Levittown area on Friday.
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At precisely noon, 85 employees from the General Motors Parts Distribution Center on East Cabot Boulevard in Falls Township joined the protest, joining with thousands of other United Auto Workers (UAW) members nationwide aiming for an improved labor agreement.
The workers are urging the auto giants to boost their salaries in light of rising inflation and enhance retirement offerings, including the reintroduction of pensions and healthcare benefits. The union’s demands also include a 46 percent wage hike and a 32-hour work week.
Multiple proposals extended by Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis have been dismissed by the union.
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The strikers were seen picketing at the facility’s entrances on East Cabot Boulevard and Stony Hill Road. Passing drivers showed their support with honks, while GM-hired security personnel kept watch over the property entrances.
The Falls Township picket is part of the broader national strike effort.
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UAW President Shawn Fain stated: “All parts distributions centers at General Motors and Stellantis will be on strike. We will shut down parts distribution until those two companies come to their senses and come to the table with a serious offer.”
Tyree Pogue, a striking worker at the Falls Township facility, said the strike was about fairness and getting a wage worth of the job.
“Workers in the mid-1990s made more money than we do now because of inflation,” Pogue said.
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“We gave a lot of concessions back in 2008 to keep the car companies afloat, and they’ve made record profits in the last 10 years,” he said. “We’re just asking for a piece of the pie.”
Dave Greenhalgh, a benefits plan representative for the local branch of the union, said he started with General Motors in 1981 and he has seen workers give up money to help the company when they needed it.
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“We don’t want to perceived as greedy,” he said. “We just want a fair wage.”
Pogue told this news organization some employees at the facility still live with their parents to save money. He noted they should be making enough to get their own place and have a comfortable retirement.
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The Falls Township facility currently has just a fraction of the 700 employees that once worked there.
Picketing UAW members were supported by State Sen. Steve Santarsiero and Bucks County Commissioner Chair Bob Harvie, both Democrats.
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The unprecedented strike initiated by UAW against Detroit’s leading automakers started on September 8 following the expiration of the union’s contract.
The strike marks the first instance of the union striking against all three car manufacturers simultaneously.
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