WEST CHESTER, Ohio — One of the General Motors plants that has been on strike for more than a month is in Southwest Ohio.

What You Need To Know

  • General Motors has reached a tentative deal with UAW

  • The deal includes increased wages and cost of living expenses

  • But even when the deal is signed experts expect it to take three to four weeks before production is back to normal

General Motors Supply Warehouse employee Zachary Baker is among a dozen people who have been on strike at the plant in West Chester since late September. He started with the company back in 2018 as a temporary worker and got hired full time in August of 2021.

“Making $19 an hour and these companies are making billions and billions off our hard work,” said Baker.

He said he was not only unhappy with the wages, but also the fact that it takes eight years to make top pay. Lack of cost of living adjustments and pay for retirees were other issues. That’s why he’s made it his mission to stand outside fighting for what he believes to be right. 

“It starts to wear on you and you get tired of it,” he said. “But we were out here for a good cause. We had to sacrifice for the right thing and hopefully this contract will get the right thing.”

The tentative deal is expected to be a new four-and-a-half year contract that includes a 25% jump in wages for top assembly plant workers. There’s also the cost-of-living adjustment which would increase pay over 30% by the end of the contract. 

“I know I'm going to vote yes because there are some people that the wages are up,” said Janet Billingsley, UAW Local 674 president. “We've got more money on a retirement. We've got cost of living, and I figure what we don't get now, we'll get the next four years.”

Wayne State University Global Supply Chain Professor Jeff Rightmer also agrees this is a win for employees and the car part industry as a whole.

“It does mean good news to the supply base,” said Rightmer. “They’re going to start producing again. They’ll get paid again.”

Rightmer expects production to be back to normal within three to four weeks. But his only concern is if employees will return. 

“Some of them may not want to come back,” he said. “Some of them may have found other jobs with the way the labor market is right now.”

Either way, Baker said he ready to see the contract signed and put into action.

“I’m ready to get back in the work to do what I love to do work and have a happy, comfortable life,” he said.

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