The auto workers' strike against General Motors in the U.S. continues, with nearly 50,000 United Auto Workers (UAW) union members off the job. Workers want better pay, improved conditions for temporary employees, stronger healthcare benefits and job security. 

Those on the picket line remain defiant, and many are preparing themselves for the long haul. "The mood is still really good. We have a lot of support. People are still upbeat. We realize this could be a long strike and it could take a while to resolve. But we are here to the end," says GM worker John Hatline. 

A steady stream of cars blow their horns in support of the strikers. Many here point to a sense of betrayal. Ten years ago, GM received some 50 billion U.S. dollars from U.S. taxpayers when the federal government acted to bail the company out of bankruptcy. Workers' pay was frozen, more temporary workers were brought in on lower wages and plants were closed.

The company has since roared back into the black. In the last two years alone, its North American operations made more than 20 billion U.S. dollars in profit.  

Joe Ryan, a GM worker and a representative of the UAW Local 22, says it's time those profits were shared. "We did so much, we sacrificed a lot for this company. We haven't had a raise in 10 years. And we sacrificed that, so now the sacrifice is over. Everybody understands. And I believe we are all on the same page. We are in this together."

Relations were further soured this week when GM dropped healthcare coverage for striking workers. The union is working to close the gap, picking up the cost to cover workers. But the process is lengthy. 

Talks are continuing. The UAW says GM's proposals still fall short in key areas. The announcement that GM would lay off workers at a company plant in Canada shows the strike is taking a toll.  

Michael Martinez of Automotive News says it is in inevitable that other companies and suppliers will be impacted. "So the longer this strike goes on, the more you are going to see the ripple effects happening here in Michigan and throughout the country. Likely, it would need to be a couple of weeks before you see suppliers really laying people off.  It remains to be seen how long this is going to last but both sides seem pretty dug in." 

How long this strike lasts is indeed difficult to predict. But those on this picket line appear determined to see it through. 

(Cover: General Motors assembly workers picket outside the General Motors Bowling Green plant during the United Auto Workers (UAW) national strike in Bowling Green, Kentucky, U.S., September 17, 2019. /Reuters Photo)