Auto Workers Still Have Room to Expand Their Strike Against Car Makers, but They Also Face Risks

UAW members cheer as employees walkout from the Fort Worth Parts Distribution Center, in Roanoke, Texas, on Sept. 22, 2023. Shafkat Anowar/The Dallas Morning News via AP

Even after escalating its strike against Detroit automakers on Friday, the United Auto Workers union still has plenty of leverage in its effort to force the companies to agree to significant increases in pay and benefits.

Only about 12% of the union’s membership is so far taking part in the walkout. The UAW could, if it chose to, vastly expand the number of workers who could strike assembly plants and parts facilities of General Motors, Ford and Stellantis, the owner of the Jeep and Ram brands.