Durbin, Duckworth Join Colleagues to Introduce Senate Resolution in Solidarity with UAW Workers on Strike
The resolution calls on the Big Three Automakers to negotiate in good faith and offer their workers a fair contract
WASHINGTON – U.S. Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin (D-IL) and U.S. Senator Tammy Duckworth (D-IL) today joined U.S. Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH), along with 30 of their colleagues in the Senate, to introduce a resolution in solidarity with 150,000 members of United Auto Workers (UAW) bargaining for a fair contract, with 34,000 currently on strike.
Auto workers voted to go on strike in September, in one of the largest U.S. strikes in the past three decades, calling for a fair share of the record-breaking profits their labor produces as well as cost-of-living adjustments, an end to two-tier wage system, and restoration of pension benefits. Since then, the strike has expanded to 44 locations across 22 states.
“For weeks, the men and women of UAW have stood shoulder to shoulder, united in their pursuit of fair wages, safe working conditions, and job security. They have endured long hours, harsh weather, and the uncertainty of what lies ahead, but they remain resolute in their commitment to a better future for themselves and their families,” said Durbin. “The time has come for the Big Three to embrace this spirit of unity and partnership, and to honor the dedication and resilience of these workers. With this resolution, the Senate is firmly supporting the efforts of autoworkers to fight for the working conditions they deserve.”
“Hardworking Americans in Illinois and across the nation sacrificed to keep the auto industry afloat when things were tough, and they deserve their fair share now that the industry is reporting record profits and already-wealthy executives are earning more than ever,” said Duckworth. “Every American deserves to work in a good-paying job that allows them to support their families and save for a secure retirement, and I’m proud to sign onto this this resolution to reiterate my solidarity with United Auto Workers nationwide as they work to secure a fair contract.”
Durbin has shown his support for striking autoworkers, joining them on the picket line at General Motors in Bolingbrook, Illinois, and at the Ford Assembly Plant in Chicago.
Durbin, Duckworth, Sanders, and Brown were joined on the resolution by U.S Senators Tammy Baldwin (D-WI), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), John Fetterman (D-PA), Alex Padilla (D-CA), Brian Schatz (D-HI), Ben Ray Luján (D-NM), Jack Reed (D-RI), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Tina Smith (D-MN), Ed Markey (D-MA), Mazie Hirono (D-HI), Ron Wyden (D-OR), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), Gary Peters (D-MI), John Hickenlooper (D-CO), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Peter Welch (D-VT), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Chris Murphy (D-CT), Bob Menendez (D-NJ), Bob Casey (D-PA), Cory Booker (D-NJ), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Martin Heinrich (D-NM), Laphonza Butler (D-CA), Ben Cardin (D-MD), Kirsten Gillibrand (D-NY), Josh Hawley (R-MO), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Raphael Warnock (D-GA).
Read the full resolution below and here:
RESOLUTION
Whereas the United Auto Workers (referred to in this pre- amble as ‘‘UAW’’) are on strike for better wages, bene- fits, and working conditions at the Big Three automakers (General Motors, Stellantis, and Ford);
Whereas the Big Three automakers have made $21,000,000,000 in profits over the first 6 months of 2023, an increase of 80 percent from the same time pe- riod last year;
Whereas the Big Three automakers have made $250,000,000,000 in profits over the past decade in North America;
Whereas the Big Three automakers are providing their Chief Executive Officers with exorbitant compensation pack- ages, while autoworkers continue to fall further and fur- ther behind;
Whereas the average wage for an autoworker has decreased by 30 percent over the past 20 years, after adjusting for inflation;
Whereas the Big Three spent $9,000,000,000 last year on stock buybacks and dividends, while the average starting wage at these companies is just $17 an hour;
Whereas many UAW members today cannot afford to buy the cars they make and struggle to afford the basic neces- sities of life, including groceries, housing, child care, and prescription drugs;
Whereas UAW members are fighting against corporate greed and to finally receive a fair share of the record-breaking profits that their labor has produced, including for cost- of-living adjustments, an end to the 2-tier wage system, and the restoration of pension benefits; and
Whereas, since the passage of the National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 151 et seq.) in 1935, it is the clear policy of the United States to encourage collective bargaining and protect the fundamental right of workers to seek bet- ter working conditions: Now, therefore, be it
1 Resolved, That the Senate—
2 (1) stands with the United Auto Workers in
3 their fight against corporate greed;
4 (2) supports every worker’s fundamental right
5 to organize and collectively bargain for
6 better wages, benefits, and working conditions; and
1 (3) calls on the Big Three automakers—Gen-
2 eral Motors, Stellantis, and Ford—to negotiate in
3 good faith and offer their workers a fair contract.
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