THE United Auto Workers reached a tentative agreement with a second of the Big Three car makers, Stellantis yesterday.

The agreement comes after 44 days of what the UAW has dubbed Stand Up Strikes where members at selective plants were asked to take action and days after a similar deal was reached with Ford.

The union says that “as with Ford, the Stellantis deal delivers on the union’s pledge that record profits mean record contracts.”

UAW president Shawn Fain said: “Once again, we have achieved what just weeks ago we were told was impossible. 

“At Stellantis in particular we have not only secured a record contract, we have begun to turn the tide in the war on the American working class.

“Going into these negotiations, the company wanted to cut 5,000 jobs across Stellantis.”

He said: “Our Stand Up Strike changed that equation. Not only did we not lose those 5,000 jobs, we turned it all the way around. By the end of this agreement, Stellantis will be adding 5,000 jobs.”

The Stellantis deal provides more in base wage increases than workers at the company have received in the past 22 years.

It gives a 25 per cent in base wage increases through April 2028, and will cumulatively raise the top wage by 33 per cent to over $42 (£34.63) an hour.  

The starting wage will increase by 67 per cent and rise to over $30 (£24.74) an hour. Temporary workers, the lowest-paid at Stellantis, will see a raise of more than 165 per cent over the life of the agreement. 

Some workers will receive a 76 per cent increase upon ratification of the agreement.

The agreement reinstates major benefits lost during the last recession when union members gave up some working conditions in order to save their companies.

The Stand Up Strikes are continuing at General Motors while negotiations continue.