Another 7,000 members of the biggest US automobile workers' union on Friday joined an already major strike against the top three Detroit car manufacturers.
United Auto Workers' president Shawn Fain urged workers at Ford and General Motors (GM) plants in Chicago and Michigan to join the first-ever joint strike at the "Big Three" Detroit automakers -- Ford, GM and Chrysler producer Stellantis -- in a push for higher salaries and other improvements.
"I'm calling on Ford's Chicago assembly plant to stand up and go on strike, and I'm calling on GM's Lansing Delta Township to stand up and go out on strike," Fain said in a message live-streamed on YouTube.
"Our courageous members at these two plants are the next wave of reinforcements in our fight for record contracts," he added.
The walkout began as planned at noon Eastern time (1600 GMT), a UAW official told AFP.
The union has asked for a 40 percent pay raise over the next four-year contract, while the three companies have been offering raises of around 20 percent.
It's also been negotiating to represent workers at battery plants planned by Ford, which the auto giant has so far resisted.
UAW has used the targeted strike, which began on September 15, as a bargaining chip, ramping up the pressure on the three auto makers to reach a deal.
Friday's industrial action brings the number of UAW members on strike in 21 states across the country to more than 25,000 workers -- or around 17 percent of the membership.
- 'Holding the deal hostage' -
Ford President Jim Farley, who has remained relatively silent until now, came out strongly Friday against Fain's negotiating tactics.
"I believe we could have reached a compromise on pay and benefits, but so far the UAW is holding the deal hostage over battery plants," he told reporters.
Ford recently paused construction at one of its plants, and warned it may have to scale back its ambitions for the project.
"As this strike shows, we can't build vehicles in the US without the UAW," Fain said. "And whether Shawn Fain believes that or not, UAW needs to help Ford, General Motors and Stellantis to have a future."
"We continue to stand ready and willing to negotiate in good faith to reach an agreement that benefits you and doesn't let the non-union manufacturers win," he added.
Fain did not call on any additional union members working for Stellantis to go on strike, citing "significant progress" in negotiations.
"We are excited about this momentum at Stellantis and hope it continues," he said.
Stellantis said in a statement it has been "intensely working with the UAW to find solutions to the issues that are of most concern to our employees while ensuring the Company can remain competitive given the market's fierce competition."
"We have made progress in our discussions, but gaps remain," it continued, adding it was committed to working through them "to reach a fair and responsible agreement that gets everyone back to work as soon as possible."
- The strike gets political -
The strike has ramped up the significance of Michigan's swing state status in the 2024 presidential election.
Earlier this week, Joe Biden became the first sitting US president to stand on a picket line, joining UAW members in Michigan in a bold pitch for blue collar votes against likely election rival Donald Trump.
Wearing a UAW baseball cap, the Democrat used a bullhorn to tell red-shirted workers they deserved "a hell of a lot more than what you're getting."
Former Republican president Trump also traveled to Michigan this week, telling current and former union members in the Detroit suburbs that he wants "a future that protects American labor, not foreign labor."
On Friday, Fain called Biden's visit a "historic day."
"The most powerful man in the world shows up for one reason only," he said. "Because our solidarity is the most powerful force in the world."
"When we stand together united in the cause of economic and social justice, there's nothing we can't do," he added.
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