Shawn Fain, United Auto Workers (UAW) union president, threw a Stellantis contract proposal in the trash on August 8 in a Facebook Live talk. Fain pointed out several concessions Stellantis was seeking in contract negotiations and accused Chrysler’s parent company of back tracking on its pledge to not seek ‘giveaways’. “Stellantis proposals are a slap in the face,” Fain said during the talk. The automaker is proposing cuts to health-care coverage, fewer vacation days for new hires, employer cuts to 401(k) contributions, and lifting a cap on the number of temporary employees. 

Fain added during the talk that the UAW strike fund is healthy and the leadership has a plan for a work stoppage. “Come Sept. 14, if these companies don’t deliver, they’re going to see this plan unfold.”  The union has around  $825 million in its strike fund to aid workers if they do end up walking off the line on Sept 15. 

The UAW represents about 146,000 workers at Detroit’s Big Three auto companies.