WENTZVILLE, Mo. — Day seven of the United Auto Workers strike is in the books, but picket line chatter is focused on day eight.
"We really expect there to be more plants taken out on strike," Wentzville GM Plant Electrician and UAW Local 2250 member Jason Flauaus told 5 On Your Side Thursday afternoon. "I think if GM was going to make a move, they would have put some things out in the media. We really haven't seen anything, so we are bracing for impact. We are all staying strong together. We did this in 2019 and we are ready to do it again. We'll stay out as long as it takes."
Former UAW Local 2250 and current Legislative Chair Glenn Kage Jr. added that UAW International Union President Shawn Fain pushed his 12 p.m. EDT press conference to 10 a.m. "to announce the next round of plants that he would ask the locals to go on strike on, if there is not movement on the table."
If there is movement on the table, both the Detroit three automakers and United Auto Workers negotiation teams are keeping it close to the chest.
If the companies don't come up with more money, more UAW members will walk.
"They've made over 20 million this year," Kage Jr. said about the US automakers, "they've spent millions on stock buybacks, they have the money to pay us fairly and to repay us for the concessions we took in 2009."
Striking is not new to Flauaus. He did the night shift in 2019.
"It's actually kind of fun, there's not a lot of traffic so you have to keep your spirits up," he said.
During that 40-day strike, Flauaus told 5 On Your Side he didn't start worrying until the very end. "I would say about 41 when they brought the contract out."
A contract could be on the table, but if it is, the UAW members in Wentzville haven't heard about it.
"So far we are standing strong together," Flauaus said. "I think that is the most important thing."