Autoblog

click above pic to view more images from the UAW strike

Despite reports that the UAW and General Motors are back at the bargaining table this afternoon, and will be indefinitely, the union appears to be preparing for what could be a lengthy strike. It's now being reported that their brothers and sisters from the International Brotherhood of Teamsters will be standing by them, though not joining the UAW strike themselves. The International Brotherhood of Teamsters represents hourly employees in the transportation and freight-related industries, meaning they're the ones who transport component parts and cars from plant to plant and wherever else they need to go. They have decided to align themselves with the UAW and announced they will honor the picket lines that have popped up at nearly every one of GM's 59 plants. This means that as long as the strike is ongoing, Teamsters don't have to cross UAW picket to deliver their cargo. Their contracts with GM include what's called "sympathy language" that prevents them from being fired for crossing the picket line of another striking union, according to The Detroit News.

It's becoming more and more clear that the UAW is digging in for the long haul on this one, and with little to no response from General Motors in terms of how long it intends to stand firm, the most significant staring contest in the history of the automotive industry has just begun.

[Source: The Detroit News]