MICHIGAN (WXMI) — Tiffanie Simmons wants a fair contract.
“We all pray to God that by 11:59 tomorrow we have something, but we have something that we've actually fought for,” said Simmons, who works at Ford’s Michigan assembly plant as a production team leader, and belongs to United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 900.
By the end of the week, 150,000 UAW members, including Simmons, could walk off the job in an attempt to get what they want from Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis during contract negotiations.
The union’s requests include an end to wage tiers, double-digit pay raises, pensions for all workers, and a 32-hour work week.
Simmons calls tiers unfair to workers, like her brothers, who also work for Ford.
“It’s not fair that they come in, they get on the assembly line, they do the same work as me, and they're not paid the same as me,” said Simmons. “These cars that are being built, they don't know if the people that are building them are here for a day, a year, or a decade.”
Personally, Simmons would like a pension so she can retire without any worries.
“It’s not even just about money,” said Simmons. “It's about our standard of living that they're giving us, the benefits that we have.”
On Wednesday, UAW President Shawn Fain said while talks with the automakers continue, their offers remain far apart from the union’s key priorities.
“We have sacrificed some of everything from time, energy. All we want to do is be fairly compensated for the sacrifices that we make every day, emotionally, physically, mentally,” said Simmons.
It would be Simmons’ first strike if leaders call for it. While anxious, she describes it as an important tool that can ensure what workers deserve.
“If everyone else is making money, except for the people that are actually doing the work, it’s not fair,” said Simmons.
