The United Auto Workers union filed unfair labor practice charges with the National Labor Relations Board against Stellantis, claiming the automaker is violating the labor agreement concluded in October 2023. These charges follow the UAW’s threat made in August that it was prepared to strike over Stellantis’ lack of progress on commitments to create and preserve domestic automaking capacity.
In September 2023 the UAW struck Stellantis and its major domestic rivals, Ford Motor and General Motors for nearly two months, finally gaining major wage increases and commitments on employment for electric vehicle manufacturing.
Specifically, the union now claims Stellantis has not fulfilled its pledge to invest in a project to build an electric-vehicle battery and assembly operations at the idled Jeep plant in northern Illinois. It also alleges, apparently based on a media report, that Stellantis intends to move assembly of the Dodge Durango from the Detroit Assembly Complex to the Windsor (Ont.) Assembly Plant for the 2026 model year.
“In our 2023 contract, we won major gains, including a commitment to reopen an idled assembly plant in Belvidere, Illinois, and to build the Dodge Durango in Detroit. We also won the right to strike over those commitments, if we have to,” UAW president Shawn Fain stated. “Now, Stellantis wants to go back on the deal. As a united UAW, we intend to enforce our contract, and to make Stellantis keep the promise.”
Stellantis has not responded to the NLRB filing, but the company stipulated that has not violated the investment commitments it made in the 2023 contract.
"Like all of our competitors, Stellantis is attempting to carefully manage how and when we bring new vehicles to market with a focus on enhancing our competitiveness and ensuring our future sustainability and growth. We will communicate our plans to the UAW at the appropriate time," the company said.
The UAW stated it made the charges to the National Labor Relations Board because Stellantis has not provided information about its future product plans, as requested.
And the charges have been supported with grievances collected from a dozen UAW locals representing thousands of Stellantis workers concerning the automaker’s commitment to reopen Belvidere, along with other alleged violations of the 2023 agreement.
