Autoworkers at Stellantis' Sterling Heights Assembly Plant are getting ready to decide whether to hand their union the power to pull the plug on production, a move that could crank up the heat in a months-long fight over skilled-trades work at the Ram 1500 truck factory.
UAW Local 1700 has scheduled strike-authorization ballots for next Thursday and Friday at the plant that builds the Ram 1500 pickup. The vote itself would not immediately stop the lines, but it would give union leaders the formal authority to call a work stoppage if a simmering dispute over outsourced jobs is not resolved.
According to Bloomberg, the ballots will cover roughly 6,000 hourly workers at the Sterling Heights facility and are aimed at pressing Stellantis over the alleged contracting-out of electricians, toolmakers, and other skilled trades. Union officials say the vote is part of a broader push to enforce product and investment commitments that were hammered out in 2023. If members green-light a strike, the local would then ask the International to consider ordering a walkout.
Local 1700 President Mike Spencer has been one of the loudest voices on the issue. "We have a lot of concerns, most of them have to do with keeping the promise," Spencer told WXYZ at a recent rally, referring to delays in product and investment commitments the union says Stellantis has backed away from. The local has already staged rallies and town-hall meetings to press both members and the company for answers.
Business outlets covering the announcement have zeroed in on the core complaint: that Stellantis has been using outside contractors for work traditionally performed by union skilled trades, which the union argues undercuts seniority and pay. As Investing.com notes, a strike-authorization tally is a standard pressure tool the UAW leans on when grievance steps and bargaining sessions are not getting the job done.
What The Vote Actually Does
A strike-authorization vote is a procedural step, not an automatic walkout. Under the UAW Constitution, a local must win a two-thirds majority by secret ballot to request strike authorization from the International Executive Board, and only the International or the president can officially call and fund an authorized strike, as outlined in the UAW Constitution. So even if the authorization passes, union leaders would still need additional approvals and logistics in place before any shutdown of the Sterling Heights lines.
Why Sterling Heights Matters
Sterling Heights Assembly is one of Stellantis' largest U.S. factories and builds the Ram 1500, a top seller for the automaker. A targeted stoppage there could quickly squeeze production and dealer inventories across the region. Local suppliers, dealerships, and service businesses could feel the ripple effects too, which is why the upcoming ballot is drawing close attention from Macomb County officials and industry watchers.
The plant is already in the spotlight as Stellantis Pledges $406 Million at the site while it retools lines for new and electric models, a reminder that long-term investment plans and short-term labor tensions are colliding under the same roof, as per Hoodline
Ballots will be counted after the two-day vote, with results expected to be made public in the days following next Friday. If members authorize a strike, Local 1700 can formally request action from the International. Union leaders say the step is meant to enforce the 2023 contract's product and investment commitments, while Stellantis has told local media it believes it is meeting its obligations and would rather settle disagreements at the bargaining table. Statements from both sides are likely once the tally is in.
