The Auto Strike Threatens a Supply Chain Already Weakened by Covid

Nearly 13,000 members of the United Autoworkers Union left the assembly lines at three plants run by Stellantis , Ford , and General Motors .

The workers want reforms, including higher pay and shorter workweeks , as the industry faces unprecedented change associated with the transition to electric vehicles.

A prolonged strike may be a supply crunch that, much like the one caused by Covid , could push up consumer prices for car and parts.

But that hasn’t always proven easy to do, as shortages in components and raw materials have continued. “It isn’t for lack of trying,” Gordon says. For smaller suppliers, there is hope on the horizon, even if the strike stretches beyond what their coffers and planning can handle. Reuters reports that the Biden administration is in preliminary talks to bail out those that can’t weather the strike, especially if it lasts longer than six to eight weeks . Additional reporting by Will Knight ..