One year has passed since the United Auto Workers initiated a strike against Michigan’s Big Three automakers. UAW President Shawn Fain lauded the resulting contracts as a significant triumph for workers. However, mounting evidence suggests the contrary view: the UAW let down its members, who are now enduring the repercussions of the misguided actions and divided focus of their union leaders.

Despite automakers’ warnings that the strike would have long-lasting detrimental effects, particularly on their capacity to invest in Michigan, the strike has indeed resulted in avoidable consequences. While workers benefited from new contracts after the strike, their employers have begun making difficult decisions such as cutting and relocating jobs, halting production, and trimming down future plans.

The aftermath of the strike has seen Stellantis lay off 2,450 workers in Warren, with additional job reductions in Sterling Heights. Meanwhile, General Motors has let go of 945 employees in Orion and 350 in Lansing, while Ford’s “Blue Oval” factory has significantly downsized. In the period since the end of the UAW strike, Michigan has witnessed a decline in auto jobs while the rest of the country has seen an increase.

The expensive and inefficient contracts resulting from the strike have made this suffering more likely. Moreover, the lack of focused attention from UAW leaders on autoworkers has exacerbated these challenges. The UAW President, Fain, is currently under investigation by an independent federal monitor following a significant corruption scandal that led to convictions of 11 former UAW leaders, including two former presidents.

It is evident that the UAW leadership’s misplaced priorities also play a role. Advised by socialist activists with little relevant experience, the union is focusing more on non-auto industry matters such as student loan forgiveness and foreign conflicts like the war in Gaza. This diversion of attention has drawn criticism, as the union’s obligation to its autoworkers seems overshadowed by unrelated issues.

A significant portion of the union’s membership now lies in higher education, creating a divide in interests that UAW leaders must balance. As a result, the union’s advocacy on non-auto sector matters has led to conflicts within the union and detracted from its core mission of supporting autoworkers. Despite probable opposition to further cost-cutting measures by the Big Three automakers, the UAW’s impact is likely to be minimal due to the lack of a coherent long-term strategy to bolster the manufacturing industry.

Michigan autoworkers are poised for continued challenges as layoffs and plant closures loom. With Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and the Legislature’s repeal of the state’s right-to-work law, numerous workers have been forced back into the UAW against their wishes. These workers will be obliged to pay union dues even if they disagree with the UAW’s stance or lack of focus. The future for Michigan autoworkers appears grim a year following the strike, and their union shoulders much of the blame for their predicament.