On Wednesday, some 1,000 union workers on strike at GM supplier Dauch Corporation (formerly American Axle) in Three Rivers, Michigan, reached a tentative deal with the company. The new contract will secure the workers' topline demand of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase in the top wage rate over the next four years.
Members of the UAW Local 2093 walked out on strike at midnight on June 1, 2026. The plant makes axles for GM’s GMC Sierra and Chevy Silverado pickup trucks and commercial vans.
In a statement, UAW President Shawn Fain said, "After 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them."
According to the union, American Axle workers made major sacrifices to save the Three Rivers facility from closure during the Great Recession in 2008.
"Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50," the UAW said.
UAW members hired before May 31, 2012, including those who went from $29 per hour in 2008 to $14, will see an immediate $8-per-hour increase once the new contract is ratified. Union workers will also see more paid days off and won't have to make any concessions on their current health care costs. For example, workers won’t experience any increases in healthcare premiums over the next four years. The union also won time off to celebrate Martin Luther King Day and Veterans' Day, as well as more days off for Christmas. Workers with at least 1 year of seniority will receive an additional 9 vacation days per year, as well as a $2,000 ratification bonus.
Next, union members will review the agreement before a final vote to ratify the deal.
"These members have waited for nearly two decades to start winning back what was taken from them in the Great Recession," Fain said. “The auto industry, even parts suppliers, can afford our demands. American Axle has made $8.7 billion in profits in the last decade. They make $20 million to $25 million a week in revenue out of this plant here in Three Rivers. All these people have been asking for is their fair share, and I don't give a damn if they call you IPS or assembly, whether you build axles or engines, we all make this industry run—and we all deserve our fair share of the massive profits that we generate."
In a call to thousands of shops across the U.S. facing similar issues across the auto part supply chain, union and non-union, Fain said the difference is that Local 2093 “got organized.”
The UAW and Dauch Corporation did not immediately respond to our request for comment.
