Why the UAW strike is bigger than the auto industry

The United Auto Workers are on strike. For the first time in the union’s long and storied history, workers are on strike simultaneously against all of the “Big Three” automakers — Ford, GM and Stellantis (the maker of Chrysler). The labor action could affect nearly 150,000 workers and, if it drags on, bring a meaningful slice of the American economy to a standstill. Dark warnings that this might cause a recession are being thrown around. But, in reality, this strike is a reason to rejoice if you are a working person in America. It is a sign of an ongoing power shift that may be strong enough to heal wounds sustained by the entire working class for decades. 

The UAW is led by Shawn Fain, a reformer elected earlier this year to pull the union out of its days of stasis and corruption, and return it to its crusading, democratic roots. Fain is plainspoken, middle-aged and unflashy, but he holds forth on the rights of labor with the fervor of a preacher. He entered into negotiations with the automakers declining to shake hands at the bargaining table and holding tight to his vow of “No concessions.”