Last Friday, some five thousand United Auto Workers (UAW) at thirty-eight after-market parts distribution centers (PDCs) across General Motors (GM) and Stellantis joined the escalating “Stand-Up Strike.” Even with the scabs GM has deployed, the dealerships that receive parts from these PDCs will soon be feeling the inventory pinch for everything from replacement bumpers to Jeep handlebars. With parts shortages come irate customers, blaming dealerships for the supply snarls caused by the Big Three automakers. (Today, some seven thousand workers joined the picket lines, bringing the total of striking workers up to twenty-five thousand.)

When it comes to the impact of the strike on customers, auto dealerships are where the rubber meets the road. Profit margins from selling parts and performing repairs have historically been higher than from vehicle sales. During the GM strike in 2019, some frustrated customers who needed repairs vowed to never buy a GM car again, while others vented their anger at workers.

This makes dealerships an important site to engage the public and amplify the message of the workers: it is the Big Three, not the workers, who are responsible for parts shortages and delayed repairs.