General Motors, Ford and Stellantis have agreed to pay a portion of the wages employees lost during the United Auto Workers’ historic six-week strike, according to a person familiar with the matter.
The more than 45,000 workers who eventually walked out of the three Detroit automakers’ plants, along with thousands of employees who were laid off as a result, will each receive about $100 for every day they were out of work during the strike, said the person, who declined to be identified discussing nonpublic information.
The back pay is a novel contract feature and another example of the UAW’s unprecedented gains stemming from the walkouts, which also included record wage increases and the right to strike over future plant closures.
The Wall Street Journal first reported details of the pay for picketing workers.
The union’s roughly 150,000 automotive members will be voting on the tentative agreements at the three companies over the next two weeks.
The UAW is discussing future organizing drives at several nonunion automakers across the country, efforts that could be pursued after the Detroit contracts are ratified, the person said.