UAW Ramping Up Actions as President Shawn Fain Joins Practice Pickets in Detroit on Wednesday Aug. 23, Then Louisville, Ky., on Thursday, Aug. 24 and Friday, Aug. 25

UAW President Shawn Fain will be joining practice pickets this week in Detroit, Mich., and Louisville, Ky. Practice pickets are not work stoppages; no entrances will be obstructed and workers will report to their shifts as usual. (Dates, times and locations of all three practice pickets are below.)

Fain’s visits to the practice picket lines come as 150,000 UAW members at the Big Three are holding strike authorization votes. Voting is scheduled to end by Aug. 24 and results are expected to be announced on Aug. 25. Bargaining at Ford, General Motors and Stellantis began in mid-July and the union’s contracts with the companies expire on Sept. 14. Fain has called the date “a deadline, not a reference point.”

The UAW recently raised strike pay to $500 per week per member and has over $825 million in the union strike fund. The UAW is mounting an aggressive campaign for a strong contract, arguing that the automakers’ record profits should lead to record contracts.

The Big Three made $250 billion in North American profits between 2013 and 2022. They made $21 billion in total profits in just the first six months of this year.

WEDNESDAY, AUG. 23 PRACTICE PICKET IN DETROIT – UAW Local 51

WHEN: Wed., Aug., 23 – 2:30 PM EST

• Brief Rally Speech by President Fain between 2:30 p.m. and 2:45 p.m.
• Practice Picketing will begin at 2:45 p.m.

WHERE: Meet at closed Wendy’s Parking Lot, 4749 Conner Ave., Detroit, MI; Practice Picket across the street by Stellantis’ Detroit Assembly Complex Mack

THURSDAY, AUG. 24 PRACTICE PICKET IN LOUISVILLE, KY. – UAW Local 862

WHEN: Thu., Aug., 24 – 5:15 PM EST

• Brief Rally Speeches between 5:15 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. by UAW President Fain, UAW Local 862 President Todd Dunn and Special Guests.
• Practice Picketing will begin at 5:30 p.m.

WHERE: UAW Local 862 Owen C. Hammons Hall (2702 Chamberlain Ln., Louisville, Ky.,) near Ford’s Kentucky Truck Plant.

FRIDAY, AUG. 25 PRACTICE PICKET IN LOUISVILLE, KY. – UAW Local 862

WHEN: Fri., Aug., 25 – 3:00 PM EST

• Brief Rally Speech between 3:00 p.m. and 3:15 p.m. by UAW President Fain, UAW Local 862 President Todd Dunn and Special Guests.
• Practice Picketing will begin at 3:15 p.m.

WHERE: UAW Local 862 Ron Gettelfinger Hall – 3000 Fern Valley Rd., Louisville, Ky., near Ford’s Louisville Assembly Plant.

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