Stellantis files federal lawsuit against UAW union over strike threats

DETROIT — Stellantis is suing the United Auto Workers, escalating a monthslong battle between the trans-Atlantic automaker and American union, CNBC has learned.

In an internal message Friday to employees that was confirmed to be authentic, the company said it is suing the UAW as well as a local chapter in California that participated in a strike authorization request vote at Stellantis' Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center.

"This lawsuit would hold both the International and the local union liable for the revenue loss and other damages resulting from lost production due to an unlawful strike," Tobin Williams, Stellantis senior vice president of North America human resources, said in the message.

A supermajority of UAW members at Stellantis' Los Angeles Parts Distribution Center voted to request strike authorization from the International Executive Board if the company and union can't reconcile, the union said Friday morning.

The complaint is intended to "prevent and/or remedy a breach of contract" by the UAW, according to a copy of the lawsuit that was filed Thursday in U.S. District Court in the Central District of California.

The lawsuit argues that if the union does strike, the court "should award Stellantis monetary damages" that result from a breach of contract.

UAW President Shawn Fain addressed the lawsuit Friday in a letter to union leadership at Stellantis. He called it and other actions by the company "desperate actions from a desperate executive who has lost control."

"Our legal team has complete confidence in our right to strike. The company's legal threats are just that—threats intended to intimidate us, so we won't fight back," Fain said.

The dispute between the two sides centers on the union alleging Stellantis