A nationwide autoworkers’ strike heads into its second month this week, but car dealers still have an ample supply of most cars. Because of the limited nature of the walkouts, most members of the striking United Auto Workers (UAW) union are still at work, churning out new vehicles.
But the union has shut down factories building a handful of models. Supplies of those are beginning to dwindle.
An Incremental Strike
The UAW started its strike against America’s Big Three automakers — Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis (parent company of Alfa Romeo, Chrysler, Dodge, Fiat, Jeep, and Ram) on Sept. 15. But workers didn’t walk off the job at most factories that day.
Instead, the union pioneered a new type of contract protest — something its leaders call a “stand-up strike.” The union initially walked out at just a few factories but continued working at most plants. It has added factories to the strike over time, as contract negotiations have dragged on without a deal.
That allows the union to preserve its resources. Union workers pay dues, part of which goes into a strike fund. Union staff then use that money to pay striking workers part of their salaries.
Striking just a few plants lets the union stretch out the strike fund and prolong the walkout if necessary.
However, it also means the strike has a limited impact on automakers. If dealers aren’t running short of new vehicles to sell, the Big Three don’t feel much financial pressure to offer workers a better deal.
Ford and Stellantis are particularly well-situated, with inventory levels above the industry average. GM has a stockpile just barely below the industry average.
With the supply of new vehicles and the union’s strike fund remaining strong, we could be in for a long strike.
Some Midsize Trucks, SUVs Affected
On day one of the strike, the union ceased building just eight models. Two — the Chevrolet Express and GMC Savana vans — are almost exempt from the normal inventory rules since they are primarily built for fleet sales.
The other six are starting to grow rare on dealer lots.
General Motors has seen supplies of its two midsize pickups, the Chevrolet Colorado and GMC Canyon, fall by 40% since the start of the strike. Ford’s supply of midsize Ranger pickups is down 45% in that same period. Stockpiles of the Ford Bronco off-road SUV are down 16%, but dealers had few of those in stock because of the vehicle’s popularity.
Stellantis has seen supplies of the Jeep Gladiator fall 13% and the Jeep Wrangler fall 16%. But the company stockpiled both before the strike, even running a factory overtime to prepare. So, shoppers can still find both at discounts this month.
Other Models at Risk
Dealers remain reasonably well-supplied with the other models built in striking factories. But the union’s incremental strategy means those factory lines all paused more recently.
Shoppers considering a model on this list should know that factories aren’t building more, which could eventually lead to a shortage, making it harder to find a good deal.
Other models currently paused:
- Buick Enclave
- Cadillac XT4
- Chevrolet Express Van
- Chevrolet Malibu
- Chevrolet Traverse
- GMC Savana Van
- Ford Expedition
- Ford Explorer
- Ford Super Duty
- Lincoln Aviator
- Lincoln Navigator
