United Auto Workers

St. Louis University graduate students who work as graduate assistants, teaching assistants or research assistants have filed a petition to unionize after months of planning. The graduate students filed the petition Monday seeking to become members of the United Auto Workers.

The facility makes seats for vehicles including ones produced at the nearby General Motors plant. Workers want improvements to pay, health and safety and other conditions.

It’s the first Toyota plant nationally where workers have publicly joined the UAW’s push to unionize across 13 non-union automakers in the U.S.

Despite the Wentzville GM plant production workers voting against the deal, the contract between UAW and the automaker passed nationally giving long-time workers a raise of about 33%. Some newer workers and temps will see their pay more than double.

Nearly 54% of UAW Local 2250 workers voted to reject the proposed deal, joining workers at several other auto plants who say it’s not enough.

After a six-week strike, the United Auto Workers union — who also represent workers at the General Motors plant in Wentzville — reached record contract deals with Ford, General Motors and Stellantis. But as workers vote on the deals, some say it's not enough.

The members of United Auto Workers Local 2250 were the first employees of General Motors to go on strike. They have since been joined by colleagues at 38 other GM and Stellantis facilities.

The UAW strike comes after months of heightened strike activity in the U.S.

General Motors workers in Wentzville could strike as soon as Thursday unless GM leaders agree to their terms, which include a 46% pay raise and 32-hour workweek. The Wentzville General Motors plant employs about 4,000 workers.

General Motors and the United Automobile Workers remain at the bargaining table as 49,000 union members strike nationwide.About 4,500 workers are…