CHICAGO, Oct. 24 (Xinhua) -- After putting Stellantis NV's most profitable Sterling Heights Assembly Plant in the U.S. state of Michigan on strike on Monday, the United Auto Workers (UAW) on Tuesday spread its strike against the Big Three U.S. automakers further to General Motors Co.'s full-size SUV plant in Arlington, U.S. state of Texas.
GM Arlington plant builds the automaker's most expensive vehicles such as the Chevrolet Tahoe and Suburban, the GMC Yukon and Yukon XL and the Cadillac Escalade and Escalade-V, local media reported.
The largest plants at all Big Three are now on strike as the UAW strike enters the 40th day. GM Arlington plant has 5,000 UAW workers.
"We are disappointed by the escalation of this unnecessary and irresponsible strike," GM said in a response statement on Tuesday. "It is harming our team members who are sacrificing their livelihoods and having negative ripple effects on our dealers, suppliers, and the communities that rely on us."
The UAW had planned to put GM's Arlington plant on strike weeks ago, only a last-minute offer by GM on Oct. 6 to include Ultium Cells LLC battery-plant workers in its master agreement held off the strike there. Ultium is GM's joint venture with LG Energy Solution.
GM CEO Marry Barra publicly acknowledged the offer on Tuesday, saying Ultium leadership is negotiating with the UAW to have its own agreement.
Ultium plant is GM's only one operating battery plant with partner LG Energy Solution. GM and LG are planning to operate two other battery plants together.
The UAW announced strike at three select factories of Ford, GM and Stellantis on Sept. 14, after its contract with the Big Three expired.
It spread the strike to 38 GM and Stellantis parts distribution centers around the country on Sept. 22, following a failure in making meaningful progress in new contract negotiations, further to GM and Ford SUV assembly plants on Sept. 29, further to Ford's highly profitable truck plant in Kentucky on Oct. 11, and then to Stellantis' Assembly Plant on Oct. 23.
UAW strike now covers the Big Three's eight assembly plants and 38 parts distribution centers in 22 states.
With nearly 4,000 Mack Trucks workers going on strike on Oct. 9, the total number of UAW members on strike now exceeds 49,000.
