CHICAGO - United Auto Workers members rallied against the Detroit Three automakers in multiple U.S. states on Thursday afternoon as Friday's deadline loomed for a threatened expansion of the union's strikes.The UAW last week launched unprecedented, simultaneous strikes at one assembly plant each of General Motors , Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis .
The Chicago plant has not been shut down by the strike and about 100 workers and supporters rallied, holding signs including "Stand up, End Tiers". UAW President Shawn Fain has promised an expansion of the strikes at 12 p.m. EDT on Friday , barring "serious progress" in talks. On Thursday morning, Fain posted a video message on X, formerly known as Twitter, to UAW members about the Friday deadline, showing scenes from several Hollywood movies with the characters saying "tick tock."
Meanwhile, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found significant support by Americans for the striking auto workers. Morgan Stanley analyst Adam Jonas estimated in a Thursday research note that a full month of lost production would cost the three automakers $7 billion to $8 billion in lost profits. In an opinion piece published in the Detroit Free Press, Reuss also called the UAW's demands for a 40% pay hike "untenable," signaling the two sides remain far apart over the key issue.S&P said the strikes were highly likely to last several weeks, potentially cutting third-quarter U.S. gross domestic product by 0.39% and causing "upheaval" across global automotive supply chains.