How GM's Spring Hill plant ended nationwide strike: 'We know our capability'

Excitement still flickered under Marcus Edwards' heavy eyelids Wednesday after a long day of celebration and study at a United Auto Workers leadership meeting in Lebanon.

Now that the Big Three automakers and the heavy-hitting union negotiators have hashed out a tentative deal, those details must be communicated to roughly 400,000 union members before a final vote.

Local union leaders like Edwards — a veteran at Ford's Kentucky Truck Plant in Louisville — are the first line of that communication, and they are fired up. On Wednesday at UAW's Region 8 headquarters, Edwards learned the finer points of the tentative contracts.

"We fought hard to get here and to bring back the middle class," said Edwards, who has built Ford trucks for 24 years. "We gave up everything in 2009. We didn't take the bailout. Now, there will be so much more security going forward when this contract is ratified."

Thanks in part to Spring Hill's massive General Motors facility.

Saturday's surprise strike at the local manufacturing plant spurred a rapid end to negotiations. By Monday, GM and union leaders had agreed to tentative deals following agreements over the weekend with Ford and Chrysler-parent Stellantis.

Not that it was easy.

When UAW President Shawn Fain called Region 8 director Tim Smith to issue the order for the GM Spring Hill plant to strike on Saturday evening, Smith had to work fast. At the time, Spring Hill workers were enjoying an annual Trunk-or-Treat Halloween party.

Spring Hill employs approximately 4,000 workers.

"Kids are everywhere," Smith said, remembering the moment. "But we had to strike. They were ready. In one hour, they were out of the plant and we were on the picket lines."

Union leader calls agreement 'historic'

Union wins include a 25% across-the-board pay scale increase with top pay of $50 an hour, a 10% 401(k) retirement contribution and an end to a tiered wage structure that paid temporary workers as little as $16 an hour for jobs that full-time employees received $30 or more per hour.

Smith cheered major concessions beyond compensation increases, from improved union seniority rights to the ability to organize non-union sites such as the Ultium Cells battery plant in Spring Hill and Ford's Blue Oval City outside Memphis.

"With the wins we have in this contract, Blue Oval down in Memphis will be a UAW plant, OK," Smith said. "In Spring Hill, Ultium Cells will be UAW represented and I'm proud of that. I know that. I believe this is an historic agreement and it's going to pass overwhelmingly."

First, they must seal the deal.

Now that the regional offices have been briefed on the contracts, UAW's negotiating committee will travel the nation, speaking to autoworkers about the deal. Then, workers will vote.

Smith expects the contracts to be approved considering the enthusiasm with which workers joined the "stand-up strike," which called on limited, localized plants to stop work rather than a nationwide shut down.

'Workers were ready'

In late October, union negotiators were working around-the-clock as negotiations ran into the sixth week. Smith said a timely strategy worked to ensure a quick resolution.

"If you’ve never bargained a contract and don’t know what that’s like, you've got to stay firm," Smith said. "You've got to stay crisp. You may not sleep but two or three hours and you’re back in that bargaining room bargaining with the company.

"It’s phenomenal feeling when you achieve something of this magnitude."

The willingness of workers to participate helped secure a quick victory, especially once Spring Hill's large workforce walked off the job on Saturday.

"Across the country, workers were ready and eager to hit the picket lines to stand up for their futures and what they rightfully should have: better wages, health care, health and safety rights," Smith said.

Spring Hill's enormous impact made the strike impossible to ignore, Smith believes, as a deal was reached within two days.

"When you are Spring Hill and you build 13 different engines that go across the country, they are going to talk pretty quick," Smith said. "It's no different than in Louisville, where they build the Super Duty series and the Expedition. They don't want these plants to sit very long.

"The company knows their business and we know our capability."

Kentucky union leader: 'This is making everybody whole'

Edwards was on strike from the Kentucky Truck Plant for about three weeks before it ended on Oct. 30.

He said his union community and local business support made the difficult time bearable.

"We all come together in solidarity and family," Edwards said. "We have families bring children in just to show support. Those are some of the things that help."

The union's success made the sacrifice worth it, he said: "This is making everybody whole."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: How GM's Spring Hill plant helped bring an end to UAW strike