The United Auto Workers strike is starting at three plants that produce a range of popular SUVs, pickup trucks and vans important to the automakers’ bottom lines.
A lengthy strike of four weeks or more could impact production and ultimately delay the goal of the Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (which owns Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and RAM, along with major foreign brands including Citroën, Peugeot and Maserati) — to ramp up production of electric vehicles, Wedbush Securities analyst Dan Ives said in a Friday research report.
At the moment, the strike is strategically limited to three plants: A Ford assembly plant in Wayne, Michigan; a GM assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri; and a Stellantis assembly complex in Toledo, Ohio. If the strike stretches on, dealer lots that sell existing inventory to customers will be unable to replenish their stock with new vehicles.
“This is going to have an impact, especially when you look at the demand of these vehicles,” GM CEO Mary Barra told CBS News on Friday. “We have some in the field and we’re going to continue to work to meet customer needs, but this has an impact.”
GM Wentzville Assembly
This Missouri plant focuses on mid-size trucks and full-size van models and employs 4,100 workers. According to GM, the vehicles built at the plant include:
- Chevrolet Colorado, a mid-size truck that starts at $29,200
- Chevrolet Express, a van that starts at $33,000
- GMC Canyon, a mid-size pickup that starts at $36,900
- GMC Savana, a van that starts at $35,000
Barra singled out the disruption to the production of its pickups and the Savana Cargo van as especially problematic.
“At Wentzville, the line’s not moving and we build two, well actually three, very important products there,” she noted. “We just launched the Chevrolet Colorado and the GMC Canyon — these are mid-size trucks that are in very, very strong demand.”
She added, “They’re great vehicles, as well as our [Savana] Cargo band. That’s been in strong demand for over a decade.”
Ford’s plant in Wayne, Michigan
This plant, which employs about 5,100 workers, currently builds the following vehicles, according to Ford:
- The Ford Ranger, a pickup truck that starts at $32,565
- The Ford Bronco, an SUV that starts at $39,130
Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio
This plant, which employs about 5,500 workers, makes the following vehicles:
