Ford Lays Off More Workers At Wayne County Plant Amid UAW Strike

LIVONIA, MI — Ford Motor Company announced more temporary layoffs at one of its Wayne County plants Monday.

The automaker said 71 employees at the Livonia Transmission Plant were being laid off due to the ongoing United Auto Workers strike.

The layoffs at the plant come just days after Ford temporarily laid off 350 workers at the same plant. An additional 50 workers at the Sterling Axle Plant in Sterling Heights were also laid off by the automaker.

Ford said both factories make parts that are directly sent to the Chicago Assembly Plant, where thousands of workers walked out and joined the strike in September.

The new round of layoffs make nearly 2,000 Ford workers who have been told not to show up to work since the strike began.

United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain said Friday "significant progress" was made in recent contract talks with Detroit's Big Three. Fain said progress was made on important issues, such as the cost of living adjustments, meaningful pay raises, retirement security and work-life balance.

As of Monday afternoon, roughly 25,000 United Auto Workers members were on strike against Detroit's Big Three. The walkouts are part of a plan United Auto Workers President Shawn Fain calls "Stand Up Strike," which is a strategy to target specific plants.

The historic UAW strike against Detroit's Big Three began on Sept. 8 after the union's contract expired without a new one in place. It's the first time ever the union launched a strike against all three automakers at the same time.

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.