Hundreds Laid Off At Chicago Heights Plant As UAW Strike Continues

CHICAGO HEIGHTS, IL — As a strike by United Auto Workers continues, Ford has now laid off nearly 300 workers at its Chicago Heights stamping plant, according to reports.

A total of 243 workers at the Chicago Stamping Plant in Chicago Heights were laid off Saturday. With additional layoffs at the Lima Engine Plant in Ohio, the number of Ford employees impacted grew to more than 330 among those two facilities, and 930 since the start of the strike, Forbes reports.

Workers at both facilities supply parts to an assembly plant in Chicago, according to the report, where thousands joined the strike late last week.

Ford said in a statement reported by CBS that the layoffs are "not lock outs" and are "a consequence of the strike at the Chicago Assembly Plant, because these two facilities must reduce production of parts that would normally be shipped to Chicago Assembly Plant."

As the United Auto Workers’ strike against Detroit’s big three automakers entered its third week yesterday, the work stoppage has led to nearly $4 billion in losses, Patch reported.

Lansing-based Anderson Economic Group released the report, which claims that the strike, which is on its 18th day after beginning Sept. 15 and involves more than 25,000 workers, has led to $3.95 billion in losses. The group said that the second week of the strike was more costly than the first.
By the firm’s calculations, the strike has caused losses found in $325 million in lost wages, $1.12 billion in losses to Detroit’s three automakers, $1.29 billion in supplier losses, and $1.2 billion in dealer and consumer losses, the report said.

The calculations show the strike has caused $325 million in lost wages, $1.12 billion in losses to Detroit’s three automakers, $1.29 billion in supplier losses and $1.2 billion in dealer and consumer losses, the report said.

This week was anticipated to hit Ford harder than previous weeks of the strike, as newly announced targets will result in Ford dealers and customers losing one of their most popular (and profitable) models, specifically, the Ford Explorer and Lincoln Aviator models.

Roughly 13,000 UAW workers initially walked off the job at three plants in Michigan, Ohio and Missouri as part of what Fain called the "Stand Up Strike," which is a strategy to target specific plants. As of Monday morning, those workers were still on strike.

Another 7,000 walked off job sites at the Ford Chicago Assembly Plant and GM Lansing Delta Assembly Friday.

The union is calling on the automakers for a 46 percent wage increase and a 32-hour workweek for its members. The union also wants to eliminate the wage-tiered system, restore cost of living adjustments, end temporary workers after 90 days, and increase multiple retiree benefits.

Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis have offered the union multiple proposals that included a 10 percent wage increase from GM, a 14.5 percent increase from Stellantis and Ford's 9 percent increase, and a 6 percent lump sum added after. The union rejected all proposals.