Memories of the Detroit auto show from the past still conjure images of a special Motor City brand of glitz, glamour and fun, from the formal wear on display for the Charity Preview to children grasping the steering wheel of a sports car safely parked on the show floor while parents snap photos nearby.
The pandemic’s impact and the industry shift away from traditional auto shows have taken a toll on what has long been one of Detroit’s signature events, but those realities haven’t stopped organizers from promising big things once again, including more vehicle reveals to lure crowds to downtown’s Huntington Place convention center, formerly known as Cobo Center.
But a year after the show’s 2022 return with a giant yellow duck as mascot, the 2023 version is facing the prospect of headlines that could put the brakes on the party as contracts between the UAW and Detroit Three automakers are set to expire just as the festivities hit their stride.
Whether workers are hoisting picket signs outside auto plants in mid-September or negotiators secure a last-minute deal or even an extension, the story of a rejuvenated auto show trumpeting new models and technology may take a back seat — or at least ride shotgun in the spotlight — with the contract talks and labor issues at the heart of the discussions between the United Auto Workers union and Ford, General Motors and Stellantis, owner of Jeep, Ram, Chrysler, Dodge and Fiat.
A convergence of dates puts this show and the end of the contracts on a bit of a collision course. The current contracts are in effect until 11:59 p.m. on Sept. 14. The auto show’s media day is Sept. 13, with events scheduled each day until the public show, Sept. 16-24. The Charity Preview is Sept. 15.
It’s no secret that this year’s contract talks represent a departure from the past, with union leadership pushing a very public and assertive message that profitable automakers should share more of their earnings with autoworkers and with automakers making direct appeals to workers and the public about their need to stay “competitive.” Even if the sides manage significant progress in talks, pressure to fight for the best deal possible doesn’t suggest an early resolution to bargaining.
Numerous industry watchers have predicted a strike, which is always a possibility, and the union hasn’t tamped down any of that speculation.
Still, the prospect of a potential strike doesn’t mean that anyone associated with the local industry, including fired-up autoworkers, will want to take the shine off the show even if one side intends to use it to help get its message out.
Harley Shaiken, professor emeritus at the University of California, Berkeley, and an expert on automotive labor issues, put it in terms of self-interest.
The UAW doesn’t want to damage sales, he said, but “they very much want to let people know what it means to their members. Self-interest dictates (that they) don’t damage vehicle sales for the Detroit automakers,” which will likely be the primary presence at the show.
Shaiken and a source with knowledge of the contract issues who was not authorized to speak on the record offered the same take on what they expect could happen if labor issues remain unresolved when the show starts. UAW members could be expected to engage in informational picketing at the show, they said.
“I believe it will be an issue for this auto show,” the source said, noting that “it’s already a smaller auto show.”
The source pointed to a January 2018 picket that brought an estimated 300 UAW members from Toledo, Ohio, to protest outside the Detroit auto show that year. Those workers, some carrying “Keep the Fleet” signs, came to push back against Fiat Chrysler Automobiles’ plan to close a parts distribution facility.
Bruce Baumhower, president of UAW Local 12 in Toledo, made the point at the time that the union wasn’t protesting the auto show but using it as a platform to send a message to FCA. This was before the 2021 merger that created Stellantis and while the late Sergio Marchionne was still the company’s CEO.
“It’s just to remind Chrysler that Sergio said, yes, that we are the best workforce that he’s ever seen. He doesn’t know what else he can say about (the workers). We appreciate those comments and we want a chance to show that with our fleet, like we have done in the past and haven’t been given that opportunity at this point,” Baumhower told the Free Press at the time.
Company spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said then that the decision to close the facility was based on economics.
So far this year, the UAW isn’t tipping its hand. Spokesman Jim McNeill would say only that the union is aware of the timing.
The Free Press also reached out to multiple representatives of the show, but they did not respond to requests for an interview.
Sam Fiorani, vice president of global vehicle forecasting for AutoForecast Solutions, pointed to the likelihood that the show would be used as a forum.
“With all of the automotive media converging on Huntington Place just as the current UAW contract expires, Detroit could provide the perfect backdrop for President Fain to make his case. No matter how many new vehicles are unveiled at this year’s Detroit show, the big news that week will be how negotiations are going. Whether it’s progress on a new deal or the start of a prolonged strike, labor will be (the) headline in any article in mid-September,” he said in an email, referencing UAW President Shawn Fain.
Fiorani said the automakers can be expected to tout plant investments in places like Michigan and Tennessee without providing much in the way of specifics, at least until an agreement is on paper. GM, Ford and Stellantis, while unveiling new products, also aren’t likely to highlight the vehicles the companies produce in places like China, Mexico or South Korea, he said.
Answers to questions about the fate of Stellantis’ idled Belvidere Assembly Plant or the readiness of GM to ramp up production of the electric Cadillac Escalade IQ might be provided if this were a normal year, he said, but “those are among the touchy topics that will be avoided until the union membership votes on a new deal. Instead, reporters will be wondering if strikes will hamper the stabilizing inventory situation and will the transplants and imports be able to gain market share because of it?”
This year’s Detroit show, Fiorani said, looks to be exciting, but “new vehicles may not be source of the excitement.”
Contact Eric D. Lawrence: elawrence@freepress.com. Become a subscriber.