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Rally outside UAW-Ford National Programs Center

Union leaders expressed opposition to tiered pay structures and seven-day work weeks, leading chants like "No more tiers" and "No justice, no Jeeps."

UAW President Shawn Fain then took the stage again, further lambasting the Detroit Three.

"All three have made record profits… that's money that the work of our people create," he said. "... They want to make you think you don't deserve your fair share… They want you to be scared, because they're scared. They see their system where the billionaires keep everything crumbling."

After hyping up the crowd with more music, leaders directed ralliers to march east along Jefferson Avenue toward Huntington Place, where the Detroit auto show Charity preview was taking place.

5:30 p.m.: Bernie Sanders says UAW helping rebuild middle class

U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders addressed a crowd of hundreds of rallying union workers and supporters downtown, lambasting the Detroit Three for high CEO compensation and making billions while underpaying workers.

He said he has a message for the Detroit Three CEOs.

"It is time for you to end your greed," the Vermont senator said. "It is time for you to treat your employees with the respect and dignity they deserve, it is time to sit down and negotiate a fair contract."

Sanders credited the UAW with helping to create the middle class when it began challenging GM more than 80 years ago.

“All of you know, that there was once a time when a union job in the automobile industry was the gold standard for the working class in America," he said. "Well, we are determined to bring those days back again.”

As a presidential candidate, Sanders finished behind Joe Biden in Michigan's 2020 Democratic primary and edged out Hillary Clinton in the 2016 primary.

Having trouble viewing or hearing the video? Watch here.

5:12 p.m.: Whitmer, donning red: 'I love you'

Gov. Gretchen Whitmer took the stage donning a red UAW jacket and expressed solidarity with striking auto workers.

“I love you, I respect you and I stand with you,” she said to a cheering crowd that had grown to several hundred.

4:45 p.m.: Crowd grows ahead of rally with Bernie Sanders

The crowd of union members and supporters outside a downtown UAW center ahead of a 5 p.m. rally grew to about 200, including workers from each of the Detroit Three.

Ralliers wore red and danced to songs like "Solidarity Forever," "Ain't No Stopping Us Now" and "We're Not Gonna Take It."

Deshaun Willingham, 51, of Romulus, a millwright who's worked at the Stellantis Detroit Assembly Complex-Jefferson for 12 years, said he hopes for a short strike.

"A lot of people are prepared, but a lot of people aren't prepared for this," he said. "I believe we're asking for what's fair and just. We're not asking for anything other than what we've earned."

This is his second time being involved in strike activity. He walked out in solidarity with GM workers during a 40-strike in 2019.

"That's what solidarity means. No matter whehter you're with GM, Ford or Stellantis. "

U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell and Secretary of State Jocelyn Benson were on stage ahead of planned appearances by UAW president Shawn Fain along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.

4:05 p.m.: Crowd gathers for downtown Detroit rally

A crowd was beginning to gather just before 4 p.m. outside the UAW-Ford Joint Trusts Center in downtown Detroit, next to Huntington Place, for a 5 p.m. rally set to feature UAW president Shawn Fain along with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and U.S. Sen Bernie Sanders, I-Vermont.

Many supporters were wearing red UAW T-shirts.

The Detroit auto show Charity Preview was set to begin at Huntington Place at the same time as the rally.

3:09 p.m.: Fain tears into billionaire class

The UAW issued a statement Friday afternoon from President Shawn Fain, answer critics who say the union's tactics will damage the U.S. economy.

"The companies and the media want to use fear tactics about how we’re going to wreck the economy. We’re not going to wreck the economy," Fain said. "The truth is we are going to wreck the billionaire economy."

2:49 p.m.: Workers lining up for strike pay

At the UAW Local 900 headquarters, directly across Michigan Avenue from the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, a line of workers stretched in the afternoon all around the building. Hundreds of autoworkers were waiting more than an hour to make it into the facility to officially register for the $500 a week strike pay.

A little before 2 p.m., a local union leader thanked everyone for the patience and support of the strike. He promised everyone would get the chance to fill out the necessary paperwork to receive their strike pay as quickly as possible.

Kim, a woman who declined to provide her last name, said she'd waited in line already for about an hour. She expected to wait at least another hour before getting the chance to sign up for the pay. But the 29-year Michigan Assembly plant veteran who typically works in the paint shop said the strike is absolutely necessary, especially for younger workers.

"It's important for us to back the younger generation coming up, to make sure we get rid of the two-tier wage, bring everybody up to the same. Retirees, they need their retirement enriched a little bit with the increase in the economy," she said.

2:30 p.m.: A quick rundown of the UAW strike so far

What is the UAW striking for?

The auto workers union is seeking a significant boost in wages (they requested 40%), job security and a return of regular cost-of-living adjustments and pensions among other things. The companies want to limit the rise in labor costs at a time when they are also spending money to invest in a transition toward electric vehicle production.

Which UAW plants are on strike?

• Ford Michigan Assembly Plant (Final Assembly and Paint only) in Wayne, where it builds the Ranger midsize pickup and the Bronco SUV. Michigan Assembly was formerly called Michigan Truck Plant.

• Stellantis Toledo Assembly Complex in Ohio, where it makes its popular Jeep Wrangler, Wrangler 4xe and Jeep Gladiator pickup.

• General Motors Wentzville Assembly in Missouri, where it builds the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon midsize pickups and the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans.

What does UAW stand for?

It stands for the United Auto Workers union, which represents the autoworkers and has contracts with the big three automakers: Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. The UAW has 400,000 active members and more than 580,000 retired members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.

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12:46 p.m.: President Biden urges better deal for workers

In a brief statement from the White House, President Joe Biden expressed support for union workers in their efforts to get a better deal and urged the Detroit automakers to provide a better agreement for workers.

“Auto companies have seen record profits especially over the last few years,” he said. “Those record profits have not been shared fairly with the workers in my view.”

Biden – a Democrat and labor ally -- said he was sending Acting Labor Secretary Julie Su and Gene Sperling, an adviser to the president, to Detroit to help facilitate additional talks between the parties and offer any support needed from the administration.

The president added, “Let’s be clear: No one wants a strike.” But he said he understood the importance of unions to improve the national economy and workers’ frustrations in not reaching a deal they believe is equitable. “I believe they (the auto companies) should go further (than the offers already made)… record corporate profits, which they have, should be shared in record union contracts with the workers.”

Biden also said that as companies move toward adopting more electric vehicles – a move that could see fewer workers needed to assemble vehicles – that the “transition should be fair and a win-win for auto workers and auto companies.”

“The bottom line is autoworkers … deserve a contract that sustains them and the middle class,” the president said before leaving the briefing without taking questions.

You can watch the speech here.

12:17 p.m.: Republican senator floats theory on strike strategy

U.S. Sen. JD Vance, R-Ohio, sent a letter on Friday to a White House aide suggesting that Michigan plants may not be more of a target in the strike because of political considerations that might hurt an ally of President Joe Biden’s – Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer.

Vance’s letter to White House advisor Gene Sperling – Biden's choice to serve as a liaison between the administration, the automakers and the union – said it’s curious why more Michigan plants aren’t being targeted instead of those in Ohio and Missouri, two states led by Republicans.

“Only one strike affects Michigan where the bulk of UAW members live and work. This pattern seems hardly coincidental. A major, multi-plant strike in Michigan could be costly to one of the president’s closest gubernatorial allies,” Vance wrote in the letter, which he posted on X, the platform formerly called Twitter. “It might create economic reverberations across a state that Donald Trump won in 2016.”

Vance is an ally of Donald Trump, the leading Republican candidate to challenge Biden for the presidency, and, it should be said, there is no indication the White House had an involvement in – or advance knowledge of – the strike targets. The UAW has also refrained from endorsing any candidate in the 2024 presidential election as yet.

11:56 a.m.: Slotkin brings snacks, asks for quick resolution

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing and a U.S, Senate candidate, brought snacks shortly before noon to picketers at the Ford Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne.

"The people who are in this hall and out in the street right now are just doing the most American thing in the world: trying to live a middle class life in America. They're showing their power by organizing and collectively bargaining. That is as American as apple pie," Slotkin said.

However, Slotkin said a prolonged strike would be bad for Michigan and bad for the country.

"I want this resolved quickly. That means both sides need to come to the table in good faith, don't let it get personal. And then you can't let a perfect deal be the enemy of a good deal," Slotkin said.

11:38 a.m.: Reps. John Moolenaar, John James offer Republican view

U.S. Rep. John Moolenaar, R-Caledonia, was the first Republican member of Michigan’s congressional delegation to comment on the strike on Friday morning, blaming neither striking workers nor the companies but President Joe Biden.

"Unfortunately, President Biden’s unworkable policies on electric vehicles have pushed automakers and autoworkers into a corner, requiring them to follow burdensome EPA rules and forcing the entire auto supply chain to become more dependent on the Chinese Communist Party,” Moolenaar, a member of the powerful House Appropriations Committee, said in an email.

It’s expected to be a refrain Republican officials take up, that rules under consideration by the Biden administration could theoretically lead to two-thirds of all new vehicles sold in the U.S. in a decade being EVs, even though as it stands the auto companies rely on batteries from overseas.

Electric vehicles also take fewer workers to produce and there are plenty of UAW workers, including in Michigan, who are skeptical about the transition to EVs.

“This strike will have harmful effects on Michigan’s economy and families, and it is being caused by the policies of this out-of-touch administration,” Moolenaar continued. “President Biden should reverse the EPA rules and let American manufacturers and workers innovate freely in the years ahead.”

His comment was shortly followed up by another GOP member, U.S. Rep. John James, R-Shelby Township, who said, “The Biden administration has signaled that it does not care about UAW workers. The administration is forcing our country into a comply-or-die EV mandate that has already burned billions in American taxpayer dollars on a capacity that autos can’t afford, for demand that doesn’t exist, and with an infrastructure that isn’t built in the first place — it’s built in China.”

11:07 a.m.: Mary Barra takes to the morning airwaves

General Motors CEO Mary Barra took to TV news appearances Friday morning.

“I’m extremely disappoint and frustrated that we’re in a strike,” Barra told co-anchor Michael Strahan on Good Morning America. “If you look at the offer we have on the table, it’s a very strong offer.”

As the Detroit Free Press reported Thursday, GM’s offer to the union consisted of a 20% hourly wage increase over the life of the contract, a shortened progression to top wages, added time off and other benefits.

But the union has asked for a 40% increase in hourly wages over the life of the contract to match the 40% increase in CEO compensation it says has happened over the past several years.

“I don’t know where the 40% came from,” Barra said when asked about the union’s claims about executive compensation. “I will tell you from an executive compensation package, 92% of my compensation is based on performance. So when we look at where we are from a GM perspective, when GM does well, employees do well.”

Barra said GM is ready to get a deal done.

“We’re there now (at the table). We’re ready and want to get back to it and problem solve,” Barra said. “We want to get people back to work as soon as possible.”

10:45 a.m.: More than 100 picketers on a chilly morning

Shelby couldn't sleep last night. The 29-year-old production floor associate got up around 3 a.m., drove from her home in Fenton to the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne where she's worked for almost three years, and grabbed a picket sign.

Gloves and hat shielded some of the crisp bite of a fall Michigan morning later Friday. But Shelby and two other picketers, all of whom did not provide last names for fear of reprisals, said the cold was nothing compared to the grind of producing some of the most popular vehicles in the U.S.

"We put our blood, sweat and tears into this stuff. The people on the outside probably don't realize it, but it's hard on our bodies," said Shelby, who lamented the tiered pay structure at her plant and lack of worker pay raises in comparison to executive increases.

"We deserve a little bit better for the literal blood, sweat and tears we put into this place."

More than 100 picketers lined Michigan avenue outside the Ford facility Friday morning, one of three across the country where the UAW is striking. Styrofoam coffee cups and White Castle slider sleeves littered the pavement, as workers juggled signs and chanting with donuts. A few politicians stopped by, with a horde of news media camped out in the median at near the UAW local facility across from one of the plant entrances.

Rick, a 48-year-old auditor with nearly three decades of experience at Ford, said he wasn't nervous about the financial ramifications of a prolonged strike. The key to all of this is solidarity in pursuit of a fair contract.

"We stick together," he said.

"Everybody in here has some kind of ailment -- back, legs -- it beats you up. We deserve equal pay, fair pay."

10:30 a.m.: Picketers block trucks trying to enter plant

Several semi-trucks attempted to enter the Ford Michigan Assmebly plant around 10:30 a.m., but picketers walking along the sidewalk blocked the entrance.

One truck sat outside the entrance for about 15 minutes, with its emergency flashers. Picketers shouted "keep moving buddy!" and waved for him to drive off. They cheered and chanted as he pulled away.

The Teamsters, who represent many truck drivers, pledged solidarity with the UAW before the strike.

Jeff, a Teamsters union member who declined to provide his last name, spoke with several of the drivers and encouraged them to move along. He noted they were with trucking companies that are not unionized.

"I think a lot of these non-union companies have the employees scared for their jobs. So we're just trying to say 'Hey look, stay safe, don't do anything that's going to jeopardize you or your equipment, anything like that.'" Jeff told the Free Press.

"Best thing for your position is to just move on down the road, and let his employer deal with it."

9:37 a.m.: Gary Peters, Debbie Stabenow hit the picket lines

Both of Michigan's U.S. senators joined picketers early Friday morning outside the Ford Michigan Assembly plant in Wayne. U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, a Democrat and senior member of Michigan's delegation, said the union and auto companies must agree to a contract that supports workers.

"I think the most important thing is to make sure that there is an agreement that supports the work of the people who get the job done here, and that they are supported to get this done as quickly as possible. It needs to be fair and just," Stabenow said, as cars and trucks driving down Michigan Avenue blasted their horns in solidarity.

Stabenow said she regularly speaks with both UAW President Shawn Fain and executives from the Big Three automakers. Those conversations showed her it's not a huge shock the union and companies are at a bit of a stalemate.

"They're all the home team for us," Stabenow said.

"Collective bargaining can be tough. It's not surprising to me that at this particular time that it's a tough situation. But they'll get through it, and they'll get it done."

8:47 a.m.: Sleep deprivation on overnight shift at Michigan Assembly

Factory workers at Ford's Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne endured six-hour strike shifts that began at 12 a.m. Fridaywith plans to continue non-stop every day until workers reach a deal with Ford Motor Co. Their four-year labor contract expired at 11:59 p.m. Thursday. And while members on the picket linetalked of deserving better wages and benefits, few criticized the company or its executives directly.

Horns honked with every car and truck that passed, it seemedall night. People streamed in and out of the UAW Local 900 union hall across the street from the factory that builds the Bronco SUV and Ranger pickup.

"This is what it's gonna take to get to where we need to be," said Dwayne Walker, 60, of Westland, president of UAW Local 900. "Now is our time. If not now, when?"

7:50 a.m.: Gary Peters to join UAW picket line

U.S. Sen. Gary Peters, D-Michigan, is expected to join picketers at Michigan Assembly in Wayne around 8:15 a.m. Friday morning.

"Peters stands in solidarity with UAW members as they strike to fight for a contract that gives them the wages, job security, and benefits they deserve," a news release said.

1:13 a.m.: Shawn Fain thanks a sea of people in red union shirts: 'I work for you'

Parking lots across the street from Michigan Assembly in Wayne rapidly filled as UAW members arrived cheering and chanting and singing and shouting. They carried signs and created a sea of red in their union shirts. Cars and trucks honked while passing.

UAW President Shawn Fain stayed well past 1 a.m. thanking members for their solidarity and commitment. "I work for you," he said again and again to crowds that swarmed him.

With no pathway to a permanent spot, mother of 7 says job is 'hell'

Leticia Lopez, 38, of Toledo, has been a supplemental worker at the Toledo Assembly Complex for four years. Before that, she’d been a supplemental worker for 3.5 years at General Motors.

She works in pre-engine and transmission load at the plant.

Early Friday morning, she stood outside her plant cheering.

She’s been waiting, she said, for this moment. Working as a supplemental worker at the plant is more than difficult.

“It’s hell,” Lopez said.

During the pandemic, when others stayed home if they needed to, supplemental workers “were stuck in here,” she said, pointing to the plant.

The mother of seven said she stays at her job for the health care, which is free, but it doesn’t come with dental or vision coverage. Her current pay is $17 an hour and she said there’s no pathway to a permanent spot.

Lopez, who said she’s one of 1,400 supplemental workers at the plant, is on board with the union’s strike strategy.

“It’s genius,” she said. “Our president got the message. He’s hitting them hard.”

Retiree: Workers can't afford the cars they're making

Dwayne Walker, 60, president of UAW Local 900, stood at the picket line in Wayne early Friday. Local 900 has about 5,500 members, he said, 4,000 of whom are now on strike at Michigan Assembly.

“Our motive is not a labor strike,” Walker said. “We’re trying to accomplish some things.”

Some of the handmade signs on display at Michigan Assembly: “Detroit is a union town,” “32 hours work for 40 hours pay!” and “Get wise, organize.”

Not long after midnight, members in Wayne began to chant, “Mighty, mighty union, autoworker’s union.”

Standing on the picket line was Virginia Williams, a retired Wayne assembly worker. The 65-year-old worked as a laborer for 28 years and is now chair pro tem of the Romulus City Council. Williams retired 10 years ago, but has three children and a grandson working at Ford.

“We can’t have workers making cars they can’t afford to buy,” she said. “It makes them feel angry.”

Amid honks and cheers, fellow autoworkers support Toledo strikers

Dawnya Ferdinandsen, 54, of Sandusky, Ohio, stood outside the Toledo Assembly Complex cheering on the cars and trucks as they honked and sped by.

“Blow that horn, that’s it,” she said.

Ferdinandsen works at the General Motors Propulsion plant in Toledo but was outside the Stellantis plant, which produces Wranglers and Gladiators, after the strike was called.

“They supported us when we went out. I’m here to support them,” she said, referencing the 2019 strike against General Motors when workers from Ford and Stellantis, then Fiat Chrysler Automobiles, would come join the picketers outside the GM plants during their free time.

Ferdinandsen is excited by the tone she’s heard from the UAW’s leadership, although she does hope for a quick strike.

“It’s refreshing,” she said. “(Fain’s) leading us in the right direction.”

'It’s time to give us rightfully what’s ours'

Some of the striking workers in Wayne said they are concerned about paying for medical bills to address maladies they’ve accumulated from working such an active job.

“Plants put your body in shambles and the money they give you for retirement doesn’t go to cover the medical bills and it puts you in debt,” said Dino DeBlair, 57, of Carleton, an upfitter who adheres stickers to cars and has worked at Ford for 28 years.

DeBlair said benefits have dwindled and wages have remained stagnant for years.

Charmaine Sanderfield, 34, of Canton, has been an assembly worker at the plant in Wayne for 3.5 years. She said “record-breaking” profits should benefit workers, too.

“It’s been a long time coming: It’s time to give us rightfully what’s ours,” she said.  “People break their backs, their hands, their arms and spend time away from their families to build these vehicles.”

Crowd to Shawn Fain who joined them in Wayne: 'We love you, Shawn'

Outside Michigan Assembly in Wayne, the striking workers carried signs reading, “UAW on Strike” and others with the phrase, “Saving the American Dream.”

UAW President Shawn Fain arrived after the midnight deadline to an animated crowd of people, who quickly surrounded him and cheered. One man standing among the crowd remarked that even at 6 foot, 4 inches, he couldn’t see Fain in the crush of people surrounding the union leader.

Members shouted, “We love you, Shawn, we love you.”

Retirees, other supporters join those on strike: 'We just want what's fair'

Along Michigan Avenue, standing outside the Ford Michigan Assembly Plant, UAW autoworkers were joined by retired autoworkers, members of other unions who came to support the UAW and politicians including U.S. Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-Ann Arbor) and U.S. Rep. Rashida Tlaib (D-Detroit).

“We’re at a crossroads,” Dingell said, standing outside of the UAW Local 900’s union hall across from the plant in Wayne. Dingell was dressed head-to-toe in red, matching colors with many of those flanking Michigan Avenue. “These negotiations are the most important ones I’ve witnessed in my life and people need to understand why the workers care about this. … This isn’t talking points. This is where the rubber hits the road.”

Joel Ventimeglia, 46, of St. Clair Shores, said he inspects Bronco and Ranger vehicles on the line, and has worked for Ford at Michigan Assembly for 11 years.

“We gave up a lot a long time ago,” he said. “We just want what’s fair.”

Slotkin: Companies need to ‘do right’ by workers

U.S. Rep. Elissa Slotkin, D-Lansing, said she backs the UAW workers who are "fighting to make sure a hard day’s work means a good life for you and your family. For the last two years, we’ve passed bills to incentivize American manufacturing and bring supply chains home from places like China. But the companies that benefit from these policies need to do right by the workers who make their success possible."

Slotkin said she will join auto workers on the picket line this weekend, but hopes the strike is short and the parties can continue to negotiate to reach an agreement quickly.

Tate urges swift resolution

State Rep. Joe Tate, D-Detroit and speaker of the House, issued this statement early Friday:

“Workers are the backbone of the American auto industry, and organized labor is a part of our state’s enduring legacy. Decades of hard work and leadership by unions forged a path to help ensure safe workplaces, competitive wages, and the ability to raise and support a family. They helped make the American dream a reality for generations of Michiganders.

“Michigan’s economy benefits when workers and industry negotiate together, in good faith, to reach consensus. Support for Michigan workers is a top priority for House Democrats, and our legislative accomplishments and agenda are a reflection of our commitment to help build a strong workforce and a thriving economy.

“I encourage a swift resolution to this impasse that delivers a fair contract to the UAW and maintains a competitive edge for the Big Three. The auto industry is Michigan’s legacy and its future, and there is surely a path forward that ensures our workers and our economy can continue to thrive.”

At Toledo Assembly, worker brings fire wood to help picketers 'stay warm'

A man with a white GMC pickup parked his truck on the grass outside a gate to the Toledo Assembly Complex. The truck was loaded with firewood for the burn barrel that was just bursting to flame. He didn’t want to give his name but said he works mornings at the plant building Jeeps at this late hour just before midnight.

“I’m just trying to make sure people stay warm,” he said.

Shortly thereafter a different man driving a Gladiator stopped and asked if anyone needed firewood.

As the deadline passed, cheering could be heard from inside the gates. Cars and trucks streamed out and honking horns provided the soundtrack.

Stellantis: 'Extremely disappointed' by the UAW leadership

Jodi Tinson, Stellantis spokesperson, shared this statement from the automaker:

"We are extremely disappointed by the UAW leadership's refusal to engage in a responsible manner to reach a fair agreement in the best interest of our employees, their families and our customers. We immediately put the Company in contingency mode and will take all the appropriate structural decisions to protect our North American operations and the Company."

At Michigan Assembly, picketers get an early start

Michigan Assembly workers told the Free Press that the automaker released employees hours before the shift was scheduled to end. Parking lots were emptying out by 11:20 p.m. as hundreds of people walked and drove to the union hall down the street. Already picketers had gathered on Michigan Avenue outside the plant. Massive crowds arriving.

Staff writers Jamie Lareau and Lily Altavena contributed to this report.

This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: UAW strike 2023: Updates, news from the picket sites