A high-profile spat between the United Auto Workers and Stellantis over reopening an Illinois factory complex has made its way into the race for U.S. president and could elicit a strike against the automaker formerly known in the U.S. as Chrysler.

In a speech at the Democratic National Convention Monday night, union President Shawn Fain accused the company of reneging on promises to restart a now-closed assembly plant in Belvidere, Ill., just over an hour northwest of Chicago.

The union won the reopening in contract talks last fall after a six-week strike at multiple factories run by Jeep and Ram maker Stellantis, as well as General Motors, and Ford.

“Let me be clear. Stellantis must keep the promises they made to America in our union contract,” Fain told the crowd at the Chicago convention. “The UAW will take whatever action necessary at Stellantis or any other corporation to stand up and hold corporate America accountable,” he said, clearly referring to the possibility of a strike.

In a statement Tuesday, Stellantis confirmed that it notified the UAW of plans to delay reopening of Belvidere but said it stands by the commitment and “strongly objects” to union allegations that it’s violating terms of the UAW contract.

“The UAW agreed to language that expressly allows the company to modify product investments and employment levels,” spokeswoman Jodi Tinson said in the prepared statement. “Therefore the union cannot legally strike over a violation of this letter at this time.”

Stellantis said that it is critical that a business case be made for all investments to match market conditions “to ensure the company’s future competitiveness and sustainability, which are necessary to preserve U.S. manufacturing jobs.”

In a grievance filed with the company, the UAW said Stellantis has said it won’t open a parts distribution hub in Belvidere this year, it won’t restart metal stamping operations there in 2025, and it doesn’t plan to begin producing a midsize truck at the Belvidere plant in 2027.

The delays violate the 2023 contract, the union said, and could last into 2028, after the current agreement expires. In a statement Tuesday, Fain said Stellantis is dragging out the process so it never has to reopen the plant.

After the contracts were approved, President Joe Biden visited Belvidere with Fain to celebrate the plant reopening.

Fain has been sharply critical of Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares for threatening job cuts as the company’s U.S. sales have faltered this year.

The carmaker, which was created in 2021 from the merger of Fiat-Chrysler with PSA Peugeot, reported net profits of 5.6 billion euros ($6 billion) in the period, down 48% compared with 11 billion euros in the same period last year. Revenues in the period dropped 14% to 85 billion euros.

— Associated Press

Boeing faces more FAA inspections

Federal safety officials are requiring inspections of cockpit seats on Boeing 787 Dreamliners after one of the jets went into a dive when the captain’s seat lurched forward without warning and disconnected the plane’s autopilot system.

Boeing also has stopped test flights of a new version of its 777 jetliner after discovering a damaged structural part between the engine and the rest of the plane. The new model has not yet been approved by regulators.

The Federal Aviation Administration said in an order scheduled to be published Wednesday that it will require operators of 787s to inspect both pilot seats for missing or cracked caps that cover a switch used to move the seats.

During a March flight by Chile-based Latam Airlines, the captain’s seat moved forward and hit a switch that disconnected the autopilot system. The plane, flying from Australia to New Zealand, rapidly dropped about 400 feet before the co-pilot regained control, according to a preliminary report by Chilean authorities. Several dozen passengers were injured, according to news reports.

Feds approve Alaska and Hawaii air merger

Alaska Airlines’ acquisition of Hawaiian Airlines cleared a major hurdle Monday, after the airlines said the Justice Department ended a review of the merger without challenging it on antitrust grounds.

The approximately $1.9 billion deal, the first major U.S. airline merger in nearly a decade, is set to expand Alaska’s operation and solidify its position as the country’s fifth-largest airline. The combined company would still be small relative to the four large airlines that dominate U.S. air travel, commanding roughly half the market share of United Airlines.

The airlines said they would wait to proceed with the merger until receiving final approval from the Department of Transportation.

Gov. Josh Green of Hawaii, which relies heavily on Hawaiian Airlines, praised the deal and thanked the Justice Department for taking the state’s needs into account in its review.

— From news services