A high-profile national strike came to Cincinnati Sept. 22 when the United Autoworkers instructed employees at the General Motors Cincinnati Parts Distribution Center in West Chester to walk off the job.
They joined thousands of other UAW workers across the country who began striking earlier in the month.
Two weeks in, employees on the picket line in West Chester said they have no intention of backing down until a deal is reached on renewing the union's four-year contracts with GM, Ford and Stellantis.
Kimberly Gray has worked for GM for 10 years and currently works as a dock loader at the West Chester parts center, which supplies dealerships with parts for vehicle repairs. She says she and many of her coworkers have had to keep part-time jobs on the side to make ends meet.
"Back in the day, you'd say you work for General Motors or Ford or Chrysler with pride," she said Thursday as cars honked support behind her. "We want that same pride restored to the workers who deserve it."
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The UAW is seeking a 36% raise for its workers over the next four years, restoration of cost of living increases, pensions and benefits workers gave up to get the automakers through the Great Recession, and the end to a tiered wage system that workers say has some new employees starting as low as $17 an hour.
In negotiations, automakers have offered lower raises — 20% from Ford and GM and about 17% from Stellantis, which owns the Chrysler Company. They say the rate unions are seeking would force them to raise prices on their vehicles, making them more expensive than their global competition.
GM has laid off workers at some plants as production decreases due to the strikes.
Local UAW Chapter President Janet Billingsley was also on the picket line Thursday with Gray and other workers. She points to the Big 3's profits and CEO pay as reasons the companies can afford to pay their workers more.
"When we see the record profits and we see our people still coming in at $17 an hour, we're past due," she said.
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Billingsley points to the UAW's $825 billion strike fund as the reason workers have dug in on the picket line. Unless striking UAW members find other work, they receive $500 from the fund while they're out.
"I look at the people back in 1936," she says. "At least we get $500 a week when we strike. They got teargassed when they struck. If they can go through that, we can go through this."
Picketers Thursday got a visit from local members of the Cincinnati Federation of Teachers and other education unions, as well as American Federation of Teachers President Randi Weingarten. The head of one of the nation's largest unions told striking workers they had support from multiple sectors.
"You got grocery workers, you've got meatpackers, you've got bus drivers and you've got teachers from pre-K to higher ed supporting the UAW," she said.
Union leaders say they've made progress in talks with Ford and Stellantis, and strikes at those companies' facilities are on hold. GM has been tougher, however.
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Gray, Billingsley and others on the picket line referred to another strike that involved workers at the West Chester facility in 2019. Workers picketed for 40 days during those contract negotiations.
"We didn't stay out last time long enough," Billingsley said. "If we have to stay out longer this time, that's what we're going to do."