UAW Blasts GM For Installing Robots On Factory Zero Assembly Line

https://gmauthority.com/blog/2026/06/uaw-blasts-gm-for-installing-robots-on-factory-zero-assembly-line/

By Jonathan Lopez

June 19, 2026 7:06 am

The accelerated pace of automation in vehicle manufacturing has become a renewed point of contention between GM and the United Auto Workers labor union.

Per a report from Crain’s Detroit Business, the automaker recently installed roughly 50 new Fanuc collaborative robots – machines dubbed “cobots” – at its Factory Zero plant in Detroit, prompting criticism from leadership at UAW Local 22 amid concerns over job security and workplace safety.

UAW Local 22 President James Cotton told Crain’s Detroit Business that he recently toured Factory Zero and observed that the new cobots had been installed. The machines are apparently being used to attach various components to new vehicles. The union leader says that the increase in automation is reducing the amount of work available for union members.

GM has already substantially reduced the headcount at Factory Zero over the past year, with more than 1,000 layoffs reported.