September 2023: The UAW Strike!

Ron here, and welcome to the very first post to the Fullserv Auto Care blog!

It comes at an interesting time, because as of this coming Friday, September 22st, the UAW Strike will have been going on for a week. While to the general consumer (you) it may seem like something that shouldn't affect your vehicle in the long-run, the consequences are starting to loom overhead. With three of the major factories going on strike, the future of getting your vehicle fixed seems shaky and unstable. All the more reason for us here at Fullserv to help explain and teach you what we are experiencing as your local automotive shop.

When speaking with our repeat dealers, parts vendors, wholesale, and individual businesses it is clear that everyone is bracing for a large impact in the coming months should the strike continue. The manufacturing plants in Michigan, Ohio, and Missouri that produce some of the hottest vehicles on the road right now are on standstill due to the strike; generating worries for people driving around in a Jeep, Ford, Chevrolets or Cadillacs. While only three factories, they are some of the largest in the country, and this can easily spread to other distribution and manufacturing plants across the nation.

While originally the strike had only planned to be these three factories, the strike leader Shawn Fain spoke to CBS News on Friday regarding the current talks - stating how they declined the first initial proposal and pushing for a better outcome for the workers. As of September 21st, the UAW is asking for a four day work week, pay raises, more paid time off and pension benefits to list a few, and explained that should there be no real movement in the conversation they would begin asking for other plants to begin to strike.

The consequences of all of this is up in the air, but most individuals we've spoken with in the automotive industry are seeing it as a slow-motion car crash. Should the strike stretch into the coming months and grow with more factories, the national automotive industry could very well come to a standstill within the manufacturing and distribution sphere. Already have we heard from various companies we deal with about the growing concerns, including the massive dealerships that you'd think have a free flow of parts and vehicles given their privileges. But when the places that create, stock, pack, and distribute the parts aren't operational, this will cause a disruption in the flow of the entire supply chain. Including your small automotive shop that does general work like brakes, tune-ups, or suspension work.

What's Fullservs take?

With a lot of uncertain variables, it's hard to say what the future will hold for the automotive industry. We're expecting an increase in issues with part shipment and stocking; with an increasing strain on the dealerships as more and more people will flood to them in order to secure the parts they need the needed work. The more general automotive work might become harder than usual to price and schedule, with a longer strike meaning less and less cohesion within the industry overall. Customers already experiencing the higher than average cost of parts might begin to experience another uptick - with an increasing lack of availability based on what it is that is needed to do the work.

We have seen it with COVID-19 and we have seen it with the shipping issues internationally, we can expect it to return or even grow much worse as the automotive industry begins a natural disruption on a nation wide level. Should the strike persist and grow with more worker walk outs and factory shutdowns, things could very much come to a standstill.

What can you do now to save yourself in the future?

While all this doom seems to hang above our heads, parts are still in stock and prices are maintaining a regular price line as of the month of September. Now is the time to get in before things get even more expensive - and more importantly before all the parts begin to vanish off the shelves as they become more and more scarce. By getting in that required maintenance NOW you are saving both you and your vehicle a bigger headache LATER.

We have been busy with a consistent flow of large-term work. Engines, transmissions, deep suspension and braking system work. Remember to contact us via an email or by calling our shop directly to make an appointment so we can get you in before things really do get tough.

No matter what, now is the time to get in and get that work done.

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We deeply appreciate you for taking the time and reading the blog, and we hope this has updated you on the current state of the automotive and industry and our take. We'll be back next month with more details on all of this, and whatever else may've happened between now and then!

Ron