UAW strike hits GM truck supplier American Axle

Nearly 1,000 United Auto Workers-represented employees of American Axle/Dauch Corp. went on strike Monday at the supplier's Three Rivers, Michigan, factory after the union and company failed to reach a new contract deal.

Members of UAW Local 2093 hit the picket line just after midnight with more workers scheduled to join later Monday at the facility in the southwestern corner of the state. The Detroit-headquartered company is a major General Motors Co. supplier with its Three Rivers facility supplying axles to GM's heavy-duty Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups that are assembled in Flint, as well as the GMC Canyon and Chevy Colorado midsize trucks assembled in Wentzville, Missouri.

UAW officials said that workers at the plant had made major sacrifices in 2008 during the Great Recession to save the facility, including taking pay cuts from as much as $29 an hour to $14.50. Nearly two decades later, the union said workers there still haven't made up those pay cuts, with the current wage scale topping out at $22 after a five-year progression.

"Time's up," UAW President Shawn Fain said during a livestream strike announcement late Sunday night. "For 18 years, these members have built you an empire of profit while being treated like dirt.

"They've taken wage cuts, benefit cuts, they've poured their souls into this plant," he added. "They've missed birthdays, graduations, time with their families, to provide this company with axles, that keep this company and several auto assembly plants running."

The company, which changed its name from American Axle & Manufacturing to Dauch Corp. earlier this year, called the work stoppage disappointing in a Monday morning statement. It said the "best outcomes for everyone - our associates, the union, and the company - are reached at the bargaining table.

"We remain committed to negotiating with the union in good faith and hope to promptly reach a fair agreement," added the statement from spokesperson Christopher Son.

GM was "closely monitoring the situation" in Three Rivers and was "assessing any potential impact" due to the work stoppage, a statement from spokesperson Patrick Sullivan said. The company had not seen any production impacts as of Monday morning.

GM is likely dependent on Dauch for axles for its high-profit trucks, said Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions LLC.

"This being a specific part, it's difficult to find an outside supplier to provide you with a replacement part in the short term," he said.

The automaker's ability to weather disruptions "depends on how well GM stocked up" on axles in the weeks leading up to the strike, Fiorani said.

Further complicating GM's position is its practice of just-in-time production, meaning parts are delivered to factories when needed instead of being pre-stocked and stored for later use, Fiorani said. Just-in-time production saves on warehousing costs but also makes GM more vulnerable to disruptions in the supply chain, he said. In order to stockpile parts, GM likely would have needed to find extra warehouse space too.

"Just-in-time production does not normally provide for enough backup for any long break in the chain," Fiorani said.

Workers at the Dauch plant earlier in May authorized a strike if the company failed to meet their demands for higher wages, as well as profit sharing, better healthcare, stronger retirement terms, and better job protections.

Josh Jager, Local 2093's bargaining chairman, said Sunday night that talks had been underway for two months with Dauch. He alleged that the company had committed unfair labor practices and tried to intimidate members during that time. Monday's walkout was categorized as an unfair labor practice strike, the union said. It had previously filed several unfair labor practice charges against the company.

"We did more than save them," Jager said of members who took pay cuts in 2008. "We made them billions of dollars. So tonight, it's about getting our fair share."

Steve Dawes, the UAW Region 1D director, added that the plant's axle products go into "some of the most beautiful trucks, world-class quality, and everybody wants one. But you don't get these (trucks) without these axles. And you don't get axles unless we get a fair, equitable contract for these members."

The UAW posted photos Monday morning of sign-holding picketers outside the plant. Fain pledged that workers at the facility would stay out until the company "comes to its senses."

It is the first strike by Local 2093 since 2008. That 89-day strike, union leadership and its membership say, was a watershed moment in the relationship between the union and AAM, wilcoxnewspapers.com, the Three Rivers news outlet, reported Sunday.

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This story was originally published June 1, 2026 at 1:54 PM.