40-30-18-6 Strike!
September, 2023 has turned into an extension of Strike Summer. This is also the month NFL football begins a new season. All teams go into the season hoping to earn a trip to the Super Bowl. Most fans can remember the pre-snap cadence of Super Bowl winning quarterbacks like Peyton Manning (Purple 37, Omaha, Omaha) and Aaron Rodgers (Green 19, Green 19, Hut).
This September, the UAW (United Auto Workers,) is trying to win something bigger than the Super Bowl. The UAW is trying to win a better life for their members and hourly workers around the country. For decades, the gains made by union workers are reflected in the pay and benefits of all workers. On September 14th, the UAW chanted its pre-snap cadence 40-30-18-6 Strike!
While there is some mystery as to why Peyton Manning yells Omaha, there is no mystery why the UAW chants 40-30-18-6 Strike!
40: the percentage in Ford, GM, and Stellantis CEO pay since 2019 according to the Economic Policy Institute.
30: the percentage increase in new car prices since 2019 as determined by analysts at JP Morgan.
18: the percentage rate of inflation in the U.S. since 2019 as reported in The Dollar Times.
6: the percentage increase in autoworker wages since 2019 as found in the UAW/GM Collective Bargaining Agreement.
The facts underlying these figures make it clear that the rapid increases in vehicle prices are due to CEO pay and inflation and NOT autoworker wages.
These facts also demonstrate that while many aspects of the economy have increased, the standard of living for autoworkers has been declining.
It would be nice if the Big 3 would realize fair wages and benefits are the right thing to do in a time of record profits. These automakers have reported $250 billion in profits over the last ten years. Those profits would have allowed these companies to buy every NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball team and still have $50 billion (about $150 per person in the US)!
However, like a stingy NFL defense the Big 3 are holding their ground. That is why the UAW has taken the field to win a better life for its members and the entire working class. Are you ready to get in the game?
40-30-18-6 Stike!
Darin GIlley, UAW Local 2250
(royalty-free image by Depositphotos.com)
