Strike threat looms as UAW, Detroit Three deadline nears

The labor contracts between the UAW and General Motors, Ford Motor Co. and Stellantis – Chrysler’s parent company – are set to expire at the end of Thursday. If new deals are not reached by that deadline, UAW President Shawn Fain has warned that strikes at one or more of the automakers could start as soon as Friday.

That means the stakes are high for the Buffalo Niagara region as the contract talks approach the deadline.

A strike would shut down or curtail production at some of the region’s biggest manufacturing facilities, impacting local companies that provide supplies and services at those plants.

For workers, it would mean the loss of weekly paychecks from jobs that, on average, pay better than most positions in the region, although strike fund payments and unemployment benefits eventually would make up for a portion of those lost paychecks. Still, it would likely curtail consumer spending for hundreds, if not thousands, of families across the region.

In the Buffalo Niagara region, General Motors has two manufacturing plants and Ford Motor Co. has one plant.

Here’s what to watch for as the contract deadline approaches:

Local presence. GM and Ford are among the region’s largest manufacturing employers. UAW-represented workers make up the vast majority of the workforce at each of those plants.

The UAW represents about 1,430 workers at the Lockport components plant, and about 800 at the Tonawanda engine plant. The UAW represents 748 workers at the stamped parts plant in Hamburg.

The Lockport site makes components for a wide variety of vehicles, while the Tonawanda complex produces engines. The Ford plant in Hamburg makes stamped metal parts for vehicles.

Strike fund. The UAW has an $825 million strike and defense fund to draw upon for its members. Eligible…