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The Detroit Three automakers and the union representing the companies’ U.S. hourly workers entered the final hours to reach new labor agreements before the current coordinated strike expands to include more plants.
The UAW last week launched unprecedented, simultaneous strikes at one assembly plant each of General Motors, Ford and Chrysler parent Stellantis, but analysts expect any wider strike will include plants that build highly profitable pickup trucks such as Ford’s F-150, GM’s Chevy Silverado and Stellantis’ Ram.
About 12,700 workers walked out at plants in Missouri, Michigan and Ohio, which produce the Ford Bronco, Jeep Wrangler and Chevrolet Colorado, alongside other popular models. UAW President Shawn Fain has warned that more of the union’s 146,000 members who work at the Detroit Three will join them if new deals are not reached before noon Friday.
The standoff is fueling worries about prolonged industrial action that could disrupt production and ripple through the supply chain and dent U.S. economic growth. A Reuters/Ipsos poll released on Thursday shows significant support by Americans for the striking auto workers.
Fain is due to address members on Facebook Live at 10 a.m., at which time he will outline the plants that will join the strike two hours later. Fain has said the Detroit automakers have not shared their huge profits with workers while enriching executives and investors. GM President Mark Reuss this week rejected those claims, saying the current offer to the union would be generous and the company’s profits have been reinvested in the transition to electric vehicles.
The automakers have proposed 20% raises over 4-1/2 years, while the UAW is seeking 40%.
The union also wants to end a tiered wage structure that it says has created a large gap between newer and older employees. (Finance.Yahoo.com)
The Hollywood writers and actors strike is ongoing, and The Price Is Right host Drew Carey pledged to striking writers that he’d pay for their meals at two popular hangouts. Now, five months into the strike, his tab at Bob’s Big Boy diner exceeds half a million. The restaurant created a guestbook for writers to sign, and they’re leaving long letters of appreciation. One person wrote, “Drew’s feeding all the starving artists. The price really is right.”
A coffee shop in Hollywood called Swingers has the same deal with Drew picking up the tab for writers’ breakfasts and lunches. (The Strikegeist)
Family Guy creator Seth MacFarlane is stepping up once again to help out workers affected by the SAG-AFTRA and WGA strikes. MacFarlane has donated $5 million to The Entertainment Community Fund, which distributes funds to affected film and television workers ranging from writing assistants all the way up to hair & make-up workers. This latest donation follows his donation of $1 million back in August and comes as the fund continues to pay out roughly $500k a week. That $500k a week is almost 5 times the funds’ regular weekly payments of around $75k a week before the strikes started.
“We know that there will be long-term ramifications of the work stoppage that will continue to impact people’s lives and well-being for months to come and this transformative gift will allow us to continue to answer the influx of requests for help we get each day,” Fund President and CEO Joe Benincasa said in a statement. Source: Deadline
After members of the House of Representatives were told yesterday that they were free to go home for the weekend after no progress was made toward avoiding a government shutdown next week, at least two Republicans told the press they’re open to cooperating with Democrats. Reps. Mike Molinaro and Mike Lawler, two New York Republicans, said they’re willing to consider a “discharge petition” to force votes on a short-term funding bill called a continuing resolution. “If there is not going to be a CR coming out of the House Republican caucus, then I will move forward with a discharge petition,” Rep. Lawler told reporters. A discharge petition is rarely used and allows legislators to force a vote on legislation even if the House speaker doesn’t want to bring it up for a vote. It takes signatures from a majority of the House, which means at least five Republicans would have to sign off on a discharge petition for it to succeed. The deadline to pass some kind of funding bill is next Saturday, with October 1st the start of a federal government shutdown if no bill is passed. Source: NBC News
The Apple iPhone 15 goes on sale today. Some of the new features include:
Dynamic Island bubbles up alerts and Live Activities — so you don’t miss them while you’re doing something else.
The innovative new design features back glass that has color infused throughout the material. A custom dual ion-exchange process for the glass, and an aerospace-grade aluminum enclosure, help make iPhone 15 incredibly durable. The Ceramic Shield front is tougher than any smartphone glass. iPhone is splash, water, and dust resistant.
All-new 48MP Main camera. Now the Main camera shoots in super-high resolution. So it’s easier than ever to take standout photos with amazing detail — from snapshots to stunning landscapes. More detail and richer color make a dramatic difference
in your portraits. And now you can tap to shift the focus between subjects — even after you take the shot.
All-day battery life. Up to 26 hrs video playback.
A16 Bionic chip brings computational photography used for 24MP photos and next-gen portraits. Voice Isolation for phone calls. And smooth performance for graphics-intensive games.
USB-Compatible. The new USB-C connector lets you charge your Mac or iPad with the same cable you use to charge iPhone 15. You can even use iPhone 15 to charge Apple Watch or AirPods.
New Roadside Assistance via satellite11 can get you help for things like a flat tire or dead battery, even when you’re off the grid.
The enclosure of iPhone 15 has 75% recycled aluminum.
It’s on sale today from $799 or $33.29/mo. for 24 months. (Apple)
Introducing iPhone 15 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro Max. Featuring a whole new level of performance with the A17 Pro chip. A more versatile, more advanced Pro camera system. And an aerospace-grade titanium design for our lightest, most powerful Pro models ever.
— Apple (@Apple) September 14, 2023