UAW President dismisses GM’s ‘offensive’ offer for 10% pay raise ahead of imminent strike.

United⁢ Auto‌ Workers (UAW) President Shawn Fain ⁤on Thursday ​dismissed​ as “insulting” a new ​contract proposal from General ⁢Motors that its leaders said was a “solid offer” that includes a 10 ⁤percent wage‌ hike.

GM,‌ the biggest automaker in the United States with over 92,000 employees, put⁣ forward on‌ Thursday its latest ⁤offer⁣ for a new​ contract⁣ that includes wage‌ increases and⁢ a ⁤higher ⁣starting wage,‍ which‌ the‌ company hopes will be enough to avert an⁣ economically damaging strike.

“We think this is a solid offer,” ‍Gerald Johnson, executive vice president⁤ of global manufacturing and sustainability at GM, ‍said in a video⁣ statement⁢ on Sept. 7.

The ​automaker ‍said in a statement that the offer includes “well-deserved wage improvements that far exceed” ⁣the GM’s 2019 agreement with UAW workers that runs out‍ on Sept. 14, with the looming deadline‌ triggering worries about a possible strike.

“We still have work to do, but we​ wanted ‌to make this offer⁤ to show our good faith‌ efforts to keep the process moving,” GM said in a ​statement.

Under GM’s latest proposal, most employees would​ get a‍ 10 percent wage⁤ hike and two additional 3 percent ⁤lump-sum payments over four years. There’s ⁤also a $5,500 ratification bonus, along with a⁤ one-time $6,000 “inflation-recognition” payment, and an additional $5,000 in “inflation-protection” ‍bonuses over the life of the four-year contract.

But while GM called the offer “solid” and labeled its efforts in⁤ talks​ as ‍being in “good⁣ faith,” the UAW president shot it down.

Mr. Fain,‍ who represents 146,000 at Detroit’s ⁣Big Three automakers, said ⁢in a statement that GM had refused “to bargain‍ in good ⁤faith” and called the company’s offer “an​ insulting ⁤proposal that doesn’t⁣ come close to an equitable agreement for America’s autoworkers.”

“The clock is ​ticking.‍ Stop wasting our members’ time. Tick tock,” Mr. Fain added.

“There’s a lot of ​back and forth in bargaining,” he told the Associated⁤ Press in an interview on Wednesday. “Naturally, when you go into ⁣bargaining, you don’t always get everything​ you demand. Our workers have high expectations. We⁤ made a lot of sacrifices⁢ going ⁣back to the ⁣economic ‍recession.”

In addition to double-digit wage hikes, Mr. Fain has ⁤called for ending the tiered wage system that pays new hires less than veterans, reinstating cost-of-living adjustments, and restoring defined-benefit pension ⁣plans that⁣ the automakers ended ⁤years ago for new employees.

He ⁤told the ‍Associated Press on Wednesday‍ that the plan is for ‍workers ‍to go on strike if ⁤the companies haven’t​ reached ‌a tentative agreement ‌by​ the time their national contracts end ⁤at 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14.

“That’s the plan,” he⁤ said.

Stellantis has said it⁣ will give the union ⁢a counteroffer by the end of the week, while Ford said it has a track record of being able to reach creative solutions with the UAW.

Last ‌week, Ford said ​it had offered a 9 percent wage increase through 2027 and 6 percent‍ lump-sump payments, which is far less than the 46 percent wage increase the UAW is seeking.

“Overall,⁣ this offer is ​significantly‌ better than what we estimate workers ⁢earn at Tesla and foreign automakers operating in the U.S.,” Ford ​President and CEO Jim Farley said in a statement on Aug. 31.

The union said ‌Ford’s offer‌ was well below its demands, with Mr. ⁣Fain saying ‍it “insults our very worth.”

The Big Three automakers have said they want to reach a deal that’s fair to⁢ workers ‌but that also gives the companies flexibility as the industry shifts to electric ‍models that have ​fewer parts and require ⁢less ​labor.

In⁢ a video statement on ⁣Thursday, ​GM President Mark⁤ Reuss called for a⁤ balanced solution to the impasse.

“We need a ⁣fair contract that both rewards our employees and protects the long-term health of our business,” Mr. Reuss said