Nearly 50,000 United Auto Workers members nationwide have been on strike since Sept. 16 after General Motors refused to meet autoworker demands on issues like fair wages, affordable health care, and equality for temporary employees.

Immediately after the strike was announced, AFGE President J. David Cox Sr. issued a statement in support of UAW workers.

“UAW members understand that only union solidarity can protect their job security, not empty promises from General Motors,” he said. “GM has record profits thanks to its workers, and it’s time to make sure that they get their fair share and that all the company’s hourly employees are treated fairly.”

Since then, AFGE members from across the nation have been visiting picket lines each weekend, walking with UAW members, and showing their solidarity on social media.

On Oct. 2, AFGE National Vice President for District 5 David Mollet led a delegation of AFGE leaders from DoD Local 1909 at Ft. Jackson and VA Local 1915 at Columbia Veterans Affairs Medical Center in South Carolina to Charlotte, N.C., and walked the picket line with striking UAW members.

Autoworkers felt betrayed, and rightly so. It was GM workers who joined the federal government in bailing out the company in 2009, making concessions on wages and benefits to rescue the cash-strapped company. Instead of taking care of the people who took care of it, the company took a hard line at every turn in contract negotiations.

“I felt it was necessary for AFGE to stand in solidarity with UAW because an attack on one is an attack on all,” said NVP Mollet.

NVP Mollet said UAW members expressed their appreciation to AFGE for this showing of solidarity.

WANT TO SUPPORT UAW MEMBERS ON STRIKE?

Visit https://uaw.org/gmbargaining to find a picket line near you and to learn more information about how you can help.