If General Motors, Stellantis and Ford dont offer contracts that satisfy enough United Auto Workers union demands by Sept. 14, thousands of workers in Indiana and nationally will walk off the job. A strike could cost the companies, the national economy and the workers a lot of money.

The United Auto Workers allege General Motors and Stellantis refuse to fairly negotiate wages and other economic benefits. The UAWs federal complaints come ahead of a mid-September deadline to get a contract and avoid a strike. Both companies, which have plants in Indiana, deny that charge and say theyre working to resolve nearly 1,000 union demands. For at least one Fort Wayne worker, one of those union demands is particularly important.

United Auto Workers union members elected a new “activist” slate of leaders in December 2022. That includes Dave Green, an Indiana worker who vows to use his new position to make the UAW more “accountable” to members.

United Auto Workers union members who went on strike Saturday at a Stellantis casting plant in Indiana are returning to work after ratifying a deal with the company.

The UAW Local 1166 bargaining committee announced a tentative agreement in a blog post, saying that a ratification vote would be held Monday.

Honda said Wednesday that it will shut down plants in North America, including one in Greensburg, for a week starting Monday. On Tuesday night, Detroit's three automakers agreed to rotating temporary production suspensions.

Officials with GM and local UAW 2209 say they were unable to come to an agreement to hire the laid-off temporary workers.

The deal includes a $9,000 bonus per worker upon ratification. The company also has promised $4.5 billion worth of new investments in U.S. factories.

The proposed four-year contract with Fiat Chrysler would add about 8,000 new jobs while doubling previously announced investments. The automaker has plants in Kokomo and Tipton.

The United Auto Workers union on Monday turned its bargaining focus to Fiat Chrysler, raising the possibility of another strike against a Detroit automaker.