Steel Products
Steel Buyers Expect UAW Strike, Survey Shows
Written by Becca Moczygemba
September 13, 2023
As the deadline for a United Auto Workers (UAW) strike nears, the vast majority of market participants polled by SMU expect union workers will strike.
Steel Market Update’s survey this week asked participants if there will be a UAW strike against the Detroit 3 automakers, or if the parties will reach an agreement before the current agreement expires on Sept. 14 at 11:59 pm. Of those surveyed, 88% of participants thought there would be a strike, while the remaining respondents believe a new deal would be made.
Here are some comments from survey participants:
“The strike is imminent, but I think it will be resolved quickly.”
“They haven’t come close to agreeing these past few months. Three more days till this and the market becomes challenging.”
“It will be short lived, but there will be a strike.”
Some other respondents noted when they believed pricing will bottom out in relation to a strike:
“Pricing will bottom in October. A strike will go longer than two weeks and the mills will be slow to shut down furnaces.”
“I think October is the month for a price floor. Prices will continue to erode until the UAW contract is settled, which appears likely to happen only after at least a few weeks of strike activity.”
“The UAW negotiations will determine when prices hit the bottom.”
“I initially was going to say “October,” but I feel it could be closer to Thanksgiving – especially if the UAW strike lingers for a few weeks.”
“Prices have already hit the bottom. Unless the UAW strikes, then it will drop more.”
Becca Moczygemba
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