Central Florida auto workers continue to join national UAW strike

ORLANDO, Fla. — Some Orlando auto workers are waking up early Monday to return to the picket line.

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They were at the Stellantis Parts Distribution Center on Boggy Creek Road on Friday when local auto workers walked off the job for the first time.

Those workers said their demands haven’t been met.

Some 5,500 United Auto Workers members at 38 sites joined what’s being called a “Stand Up Strike.”

Read: Auto workers still have room to expand their strike against car makers. But they also face risks

About 70 of those members work here at the Central Florida plant.

“We’re ready for this. We’ve been saving our money for over a year,” said autoworker Dwight Brubaker.

The strike comes as the United Auto Workers union negotiates new contracts with the auto industry’s “Big Three,” General Motors, Ford, and Stellantis.

Read: The UAW strike is growing. What you need to know as more auto workers join the union’s walkouts

The union says workers deserve a bigger share of the companies’ profits.

Stellantis says it has made the union an offer that would include all current full-time hourly employees earning at least $80,000 to $96,000 by the end of the contract.

The union has not yet responded to that offer.

Read: Auto workers expand their strike to 38 locations in 20 states. Biden plans visit to show support

The strike is expected to have a significant impact on car repairs across Florida, parts of Georgia, and the Caribbean.

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