Fairfax GM plant could temporarily shutdown as early as Monday

KANSAS CITY, Kan. (KCTV) - The ongoing auto workers strike could soon impact plants in the Kansas City Metro. A GM Assembly plant in Wentzville, Missouri ceased operations on Friday, September 15 and GM representatives said it could temporarily cease operations at a Fairfax plant as well.

GM described the situation as a “ripple effect” with critical stamps produced in Wentzville also needed at the Fairfax Assembly plant.

Below is the full press release from GM on Friday, September 15:

“It is unfortunate that the UAW leadership’s decision to call a strike at Wentzville Assembly has already had a negative ripple effect, with GM’s Fairfax Assembly plant in Kansas and its 2,000 team members expected to be idled as soon as early next week. This is due to a shortage of critical stampings supplied by Wentzville’s stamping operations to Fairfax. We are working under an expired agreement at Fairfax. Unfortunately, there are no provisions that allow for company-provided SUB-pay in this circumstance. We have said repeatedly that nobody wins in a strike, and that effects go well beyond our employees on the plant floor and negatively impact our customers, suppliers, and the communities where we do business. What happened to our Fairfax team members is a clear and immediate demonstration of that fact. We will continue to bargain in good faith with the union to reach an agreement as quickly as possible for the benefit of our team members, customers, suppliers, and communities across the U.S. In the meantime, our priority is the safety of our workforce.”

Last week UAW president Shawn Fain said they would likely begin by striking at a limited number of plants, something he called a “stand-up strike.”

Fain later announced three plants would strike if the deadline passed without a deal: a GM plant in Wentzville, Missouri; a Ford plant in Wayne, Michigan; and a Stellantis plant in Toledo, Ohio. He did not rule out a more widespread strike.

The most recent strike locally was in 2019. That was GM only. The local GM plant, the Fairfax Assembly and Stamping plant, is in Kansas City, Kansas. Workers there make the Chevy Malibu and the Cadillac XT4. They employ 2,200 people. That’s about a third of the staff of Ford’s local plant. Their union is UAW Local 31.

As of 5:30 a.m. on Monday, September 18, the Fairfax Assembly plant had not ceased operations.

READ MORE: UAW strike: How it could impact you

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