As the United Auto Workers strike closes its first week, supply chain expert Nada Sanders explains the effects of a long strike could be devastating to global automobile supply chains. She notes that larger suppliers to auto manufacturers will likely be able to weather a lengthy strike, but smaller companies providing parts may not be able to survive, especially as they are still recovering from the eight-week production shutdown at the onset of COVID-19.
When asked where the onus for resolving the strike lies, Sanders says, “What I have seen is that, post-COVID, workers are asking for more, and I think as a society, we have to understand that global supply chains are needed for all of us — in every industry sector — to get the goods that we want. At some point we have to come in and offer incentives to manufacturers to be able to share in their profits and show mercy.”
