United Auto Staff President Shawn Fain (center) marches with UAW members through downtown Detroit after a rally in support of the union’s members as they strike the Big Three automakers, Detroit, Michigan, Sept. 15, 2023.
Bill Pugliano | Getty Images
DETROIT — Major automakers are calling into query the United Auto Staff’ motives in launching targeted strikes in light of leaked messages by a union director calling to “keep them wounded for months.”
The private group messages on the platform X, formerly generally known as Twitter, show UAW communications director Jonah Furman discussing the union’s public posturing of issues and targeted strikes as causing “recurring reputations damage and operational chaos” to the automakers.
The messages, which were viewed by CNBC and first reported Thursday by The Detroit News, don’t align with UAW President Shawn Fain’s public statements that the union has been negotiating in good faith and is out there “24/7 to bargain a deal.”
“It’s now clear that the UAW leadership has all the time intended to cause months-long disruption, whatever the harm it causes to its members and their communities,” General Motors said in an emailed statement. “The leaked information calls into query who is definitely accountable for UAW strategy and shows a callous disregard for the seriousness of what’s at stake.”
Executives with the automakers, including GM CEO Mary Barra and Ford Motor CEO Jim Farley, publicly voiced frustration with the union’s bargaining, or lack thereof, ahead of a union-imposed strike deadline at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14.
Ford communications chief Mark Truby said in an announcement Friday that the leaked messages are “disappointing, to say the least, given what’s at stake for our employees, the businesses and this region.”
Chrysler-parent Stellantis described the messages as “incredibly disturbing” and said they “strongly indicate that the UAW’s approach to those talks will not be in the most effective interest of the workforce.”
“We’re upset that it appears our employees are getting used as pawns in an agenda that will not be intended to fulfill their needs,” Stellantis said in an emailed statement.
Furman, who has been available through the negotiations, didn’t immediately reply to CNBC’s request for comment Friday. Calls to his phone went on to a full voicemail.
In response to The Detroit News, Furman wouldn’t confirm writing the messages but in line with the paper, called them “private messages” that “you should not have.”
Furman, a former staff author and organizer for Labor Notes, is involved with the union’s messaging, media communications, speech writing and internal communications.
The leaked messages come as Fain on Friday announced additional plants the union plans to strike as a part of its “stand-up strikes,” a nod to historic “sit-down” strikes by the UAW within the Thirties.
In a single message, Furman describes Fain, who has touted faith and worship in recent messages to union members, as “our folksy gen x class struggle Christian white dude from Indiana who quotes Malcom X.”
The expanded strikes come despite record contract offers from the automakers, including roughly 20% hourly wage increases, 1000’s of dollars in bonuses, retention of the union’s platinum health care and other sweetened advantages.
The union has demanded 40% hourly pay increases, a shortened workweek, a shift back to traditional pensions, the elimination of compensation tiers and a restoration of cost-of-living adjustments, amongst other contract improvements.
Each of the automakers said they are going to proceed to collectively bargain with UAW negotiators in an attempt to succeed in tentative agreements for the 146,000 autoworkers under the contracts.
