UAW leadership details tentative deal with Stellantis

DETROIT, Mich. (WTVG) - United Auto Workers leadership provided an update on the highlights of the union’s tentative agreement with Jeep-maker Stellantis Thursday night.

UAW President Shawn Fain and Vice President Rich Boyer went live on Facebook at 7 p.m. Thursday to address members and lay out some of the details of the tentative deal.

During the announcement, leadership said Toyota workers were given a raise and UAW leaders believe that raise came because of the tentative deals reached between the UAW and Ford, GM and Stellantis.

As part of the agreement, all UAW workers would immediately get a $5,000 bonus upon ratification.

Fain said the tentative agreement would make thousands of temporary workers full-time upon ratification. He said currently, temp workers are being taken advantage of and given lower wages. As part of the agreement, temp workers would only be allowed to be considered temp for up to nine months before being made full-time.

In the announcement, Fain said the UAW made Stellantis change course on ideas to shrink some plants.

“We forced the company to change course at places like Trenton Engine and Toledo Machining where they wanted to cut, we made them invest,” Fain said.

The deal also comes with a historic opening of a plant that had recently closed.

“For the first time in a long time, we did the unthinkable, reopened a plant,” Fain said.

The plant being reopened is the Belvidere Assembly Plant which was idled indefinitely in March. Some of the people who worked at the Belvidere plant moved to Toledo to work.

Stellantis agreed to a car lease program that will give UAW members with a minimum of two years of employment access to a program previously only given to managers. The lease program will give workers access to significantly discounted leases with unlimited yearly miles. Registration, insurance and routine maintenance will also be included. Members will also qualify for a new vehicle every year.

The union said the contract highlights and full language will be available online Thursday night at the link here.

It comes after local union leaders from across the country at Stellantis met in Detroit Thursday to hear the details of the deal.

General Motors local leaders will meet on Friday, with another contract explanation likely on Friday evening. Dates for voting at GM or Stellantis were not yet clear.

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