UAW strike results in car parts shortage

UAW strike leading to car parts shortage.

Vehicle sellers across Dallas- Fort Worth are feeling the effect of the United Auto Workers strike as they deal with a parts shortage.

On Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain said that he began to call the Arlington GM plant to strike, yet the automaker consented to certain concessions.

While the plant in Arlington is yet running, showrooms say they are battling to track down essential parts.

Jim Hardick, the senior supervisor at Moritz Chevrolet in Fort Worth, says he’s been conversing with different vendors about a similar issue.

“All of us are impacted, you know. We’re not getting our everyday parts orders,” he said.

A week ago, two North Texas parts distribution plants along with 18 others nationwide took to the picket line.

“We took these cars in the last couple of three days. We have a lot back in the back and those are all cars waiting on parts a lot of them,” said Hardick. “We got customers that come in, their car is under warranty, and you need parts and a lot of these parts we’re not able to get. So, you know, we park their cars until we get that part is in.”

The strategic strike by UAW against the Big Three, GM, Ford and Stellantis, has caused more than 30 percent of parts suppliers to make some layoffs.

“Assuming we see this go on in the way it has previously begun, we expect that more than 60% of providers will have some type of cutbacks happen by mid-October,” said Julie Fream from MEMA, the Vehicle Suppliers Association.