Jeep maker Stellantis NV is looking to sell its Auburn Hills headquarters and technical center as part of its latest offer to the United Auto Workers (UAW), according to anonymous sources familiar with the matter. The proposal was included in Stellantis’ fourth counteroffer to the union, but it does not mean the company is abandoning Auburn Hills. Instead, the sale would provide flexibility and options for the future of the 500-acre campus, which includes labs, engineering facilities, and design studios. The UAW represents salaried employees at the headquarters, so the union would need to agree to the proposal.
Auburn Hills Mayor Kevin McDaniel stated that there have been no indications or information suggesting that Stellantis intends to shut down its headquarters in the city. However, the company is reportedly looking to modernize and potentially close some of its facilities as part of its restructuring efforts. The proposal also includes the closure of the idled Mount Elliott Tool & Die facility in Detroit and the idled Jeep Cherokee plant in Belvidere, Illinois.
Stellantis’ offer to the union also included wage increases and additional retirement benefits for employees and retirees. The negotiations between the company and the UAW are ongoing, and UAW President Shawn Fain stated that there is still a long way to go before tentative agreements can be reached. In the meantime, strikes have been declared at Stellantis’ Jeep Wrangler and Gladiator plant in Toledo, Ohio, as well as Ford Motor Co.’s Bronco and Ranger plant in Wayne and General Motors Co.’s Wentzville midsize pickup and commercial van plant outside St. Louis.
The strikes have led to temporary layoffs at other automotive plants, such as Ford’s Michigan Assembly Plant in Wayne and the potential idling of General Motors’ Fairfax Assembly Plant in Kansas. Fain criticized the automakers’ wage increase offers, stating that they are not enough considering the union’s past sacrifices during the Great Recession and bankruptcies. The elimination of tiers remains one of the key issues in the negotiations.