UAW sets votes to allow strike

DETROIT — The UAW has scheduled deadlines for strike authorization votes at its Fiat Chrysler and General Motors locals as part of its national contract talks.

The union formally began negotiations with FCA, GM and Ford in July in advance of the Sept. 14 expiration date of a four-year contract with all three automakers.

The votes are scheduled to take place at the UAW’s FCA locals across the country by Monday and at GM locals either on or by Aug. 27. News about the strike authorization votes was first reported by Automotive News. It’s unclear whether a strike authorization deadline has been scheduled for Ford workers.

A number of UAW units, including those in Belvidere, Ill., Detroit, Toledo, Ohio, and Warren, Mich., have already completed their votes, with an overwhelming majority of members voting in favor of the authorization, according to two UAW officials who declined to be named because of the sensitive nature of contract discussions.

A strike authorization vote is a normal part of the process for the UAW and does not necessarily signal the union’s intent to call a strike. A strike authorization vote by the union’s members gives the union’s leaders the ability to call a strike if contract talks stall or hit an impasse.