UAW strike expands to GM's Lansing Delta plant
LANSING, Mich. (CBS DETROIT) - The UAW's strike against Detroit's Big Three grew to include a General Motors manufacturing plant in Lansing on Friday.
Workers who walked off the job around noon from GM's Lansing Delta Assembly say they're disappointed the situation has come to this but remain dedicated to their fight.
"I just had a meeting and was getting paperwork ready when I heard the announcement," said Raneal Edwards, a team leader at GM's Lansing Delta Assembly. "I was shocked, but I was ready. So, we just did what we were supposed to do. We had instructions to finish up our last vehicle, make sure our areas were good, turn off all our monitors, and walk out peacefully. That's what we did."
In response to the news of the expanded strike, Gerald Johnson, GM's executive vice president of global manufacturing and sustainability, issued a statement to employees, saying in part:
"Calling more strikes is just for the headlines, not real progress. The number of people negatively impacted by these strikes is growing and includes our customers who buy and love the products we build."
He went on to say the current proposal on the table includes historic wage increases and job security, but their goal remains "to "reach an agreement so we can all get back to work."
Edwards says this strike is about more than the current working conditions and wages.
"I only have a couple more years before I retire. So for me, it's not only about me; it's about the generations before me," she said. "I'm a third-generation worker. And so, you know, it's about the people before me and the people that's coming after me."
