simX

Anybody know if Kaiser patients can still get COVID/flu vaccines during the strike?

I’m assuming that wouldn’t be crossing the picket line, since that’s usually about workers going to work instead of striking, but I’m not sure.

Also, gogogo Striketober! Largest heath care related strike so far!

UAW is officially on strike against all of the Big Three automakers for the first time ever!

Their strike begins as of this moment at three major plants: the GM Wentzville assembly in Wentzville, Missouri; the Stellantis Toledo assembly in Toledo, Ohio; and the Ford Michigan assembly plant and paint in Wayne, Michigan. These were announced approximately one hour ago. The UAW approach to the strike will be to keep the companies guessing what plants will be affected by picketing, thus achieving maximal disruption and giving their negotiators maximum leverage. Should the strike drag on, an increasing number of locals will be involved in the strike.

As for demands: the current major set of demands from the UAW are, according to Axios, a 36% pay increase; a return to traditional pensions and retiree health care; plus 32 hours of work for 40 hours of pay. In These Times add eliminating tiers on wages and benefits, restoring cost of living adjustments, the right to strike over plant closures, a “working family protection program, which means if the company shut down a plant, they would have to pay laid off workers to do community service work”, “making all current temp workers permanent employees, with strict limits on the future use of temps,” and increased paid time off as other big issues for UAW.

Reportedly, GM and Ford are fairly close to UAW demands on pay and cost-of-living adjustments, but further apart on benefits. Past that it's unclear how much of a difference there is between the sides.

I desperately want the 32-hour workweek to gain some serious traction because it is horseshit that we have to work 40 hours a week, 5 days a week