The Indiana Graduate Workers Coalition (IGWC-UE) declared its commitment to union recognition and higher wages with its “More say, more pay” rally Thursday.

All Indiana plants, like General Motors Fort Wayne Assembly and Kokomos Stellantis Transmission Plant, are still operating. But work stoppages in other states can affect the plants that arent on strike too.

If General Motors, Stellantis and Ford dont offer contracts that satisfy enough United Auto Workers union demands by Sept. 14, thousands of workers in Indiana and nationally will walk off the job. A strike could cost the companies, the national economy and the workers a lot of money.

General Motors workers in Fort Wayne and more than 100,000 union auto workers nationwide voted to authorize a strike last week. To prevent a strike from actually happening, the big three major automakers and the United Auto Workers must reach tentative contract agreements by September 14. Local UAW leaders say they've gone on strike before and are ready to do it again.

The Teamsters Union and UPS have come to tentative agreements on many parts of an extensive contract. But negotiations broke down last month over a part-time pay proposal the union said was offensive. Workers at a practice picket line outside an Indianapolis UPS hub say they are ready to strike as both sides prepare to resume negotiations.

There are less than two months left for the international Teamsters union and UPS to negotiate new contracts for workers as current agreements expire. With the possibility of a strike looming, a group of union workers from UPS facilities across Indiana and neighboring states gathered in Indianapolis to discuss the work that lies ahead.

Union workers at newspapers owned by Gannett in Indiana and across the country say the company is failing to fairly negotiate their contracts. Journalists at many of those papers began a coordinated nationwide action on Monday, which included strikes for some.

About 160 truck drivers and warehouse employees working for food distribution giant Sysco in Indianapolis are poised to strike if contract negotiations fail. The workers union, Teamsters Local 135, alleges the company has failed to negotiate a contract in good faith so far.

After three weeks on strike, about 190 union employees at a northern Indiana packaging manufacturer are considering a new contract this week. A Teamsters official confirmed the workers will vote on it once a date and venue for the vote is chosen.

Just under 200 workers have been on strike for about two weeks at the MonoSol plant in LaPorte after a renegotiated 4-year contract was voted down by a majority of union workers in late November.