MINNEAPOLIS — If a deal between auto workers and three major companies isn't made Thursday night, up to 145,000 members of the United Auto Workers could walk off the job.
Putting a stop to operations at the Big 3 -- General Motors, Ford and Stellantis (formerly Chrysler) -- could force even the smallest of companies making automotive parts to potentially close, including Twin Cities Die Castings in Minneapolis.
It's been in business since 1919 and produces aluminum and magnesium components for the automakers, like transmission parts and clutches.
"There will be suppliers that do not make it through this," said CEO Todd Olson, who predicts a strike could put a stop to assembly lines within a week.
"If they're not building automobiles, they do not need the components that we supply," said Olson.
The company's some 200 employees have survived strikes against the Big 3 before, including one at GM in 2019 that lasted 42 days.
If one happens again, Olson says he's planning to layoff temporary workers, cut down on overtime and shorten the work week.
"If it goes much more than 30 to 60 days, it's going to impact our employee owners," said Olson. "And, potentially, if it goes longer than that, it could affect the whole country for a recession."
The potential strike could be upwards of a $500 million a day hit to the economy that would have a ripple effect across the country. It would especially inflate new and used car prices, as union workers demand hefty pay raises during a time when the labor movement continues to rise.
"It does hit beyond the billionaires class; it does hit the middle class," said Olson.
There are separate union contracts at each of the big three. The automakers all issued statements saying they want to reach tentative deals before the deadline, even if it's temporary. That has happened before, but the union president said this time he's not following any playbook.
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