As Italian workers continue to work, UAW launches ‘ShitcanCarlos.com’

Stellantis faces labor issues on both sides of the Atlantic, UAW says it’s time to fire Carlos Tavares

The battle between Strantis and the United Auto Workers has officially entered its thermonuclear phase, and this time, its repercussions extend far beyond America’s borders. While the UAW is making waves domestically, launching ShitcanCarlos.com (we kid you not) and calling CEO Carlos Tavares “out of control,” The Atlantic The situation on the other side is equally explosive. In fact, Italian autoworkers staged their first nationwide strike in 20 years, marking a major escalation in the strike.

according to Associated PressTens of thousands of car workers have taken to the streets of Rome to protest working conditions and secure the future of Italy’s car industry. Stellantis, which owns several Italian brands including Abarth, Alfa Romeo, Fiat, Lancia and Maserati, was unsurprisingly targeted.

“If things go well, we will work one or two days a week. So what we are saying today is that the (ecological) transition cannot be paid for entirely by workers,” UIL metalworkers union representative Riccardo Falcetta told The Associated Press.

More: UAW votes for Stellantis strike, says it’s time to ‘Sh!tcan Carlos’

The strike comes shortly after the company suspended production of the 500e and announced it would temporarily halt production at its Pomigliano d’Arco, Termoli and Pratola Serra plants next month. That fueled anger against Stellantis, with the Associated Press reporting that the company and its predecessors had “cut their Italian production by nearly 70%” over the past 17 years.

The report also noted that Stellantis CEO Carlos Tavares blamed Europe’s emissions push for driving up costs and putting jobs at risk. Regardless of whose fault it was, unions and autoworkers were not satisfied.

In a joint statement, several Italian unions said 20,000 workers had come together to “restart the future of the Italian and European automotive industry.” They went on to say that “the crisis in the automotive industry has the potential to have a devastating impact on production and employment,” adding that “a response from the EU, the (Italian) government, Stellantis and component companies is urgently needed.”

Back home, the UAW released a new video accusing the company of “broken promises” and reiterated their demand that “Stellantis must get rid of Carlos Tavares.” The timing is no coincidence, as the UAW said the video’s release “coincided with a one-day general strike by Italian unions to protest Stellantis’ drastic production cuts and the broader impact on metal workers across Italy.”

The union has also launched a new website called ShitcanCarlos.comclaiming Tavares was “out of control.” It also encouraged workers to vote yes on the strike authorization vote due to delays at the Belvedere convention and the possible relocation of Dodge Durango production.