The United Auto Workers called off plans for a strike authorization vote at Stellantis NV's Sterling Heights (Michigan) Assembly Plant this week after saying it had resolved grievances with the automaker over alleged outsourcing of work.

"The company has come to us, we've had multiple discussions, and we've come to a resolution to resolve those grievances (for which) we were going to initially take that strike authorization vote," said Michael Spencer, president of UAW Local 1700, which represents workers at the plant, in a video podcast update to members posted Thursday.

The strike authorization vote was originally scheduled to run Thursday and Friday and would have opened the door for a walkout to occur eventually, had the local received a signoff from international UAW officials, and if a resolution between the sides couldn't be reached.

Instead, news of the authorization vote "put the pressure on the company to come and actually have some fruitful conversations," Spencer said, adding, "a deal has been inked."

A Stellantis spokesperson declined to comment.

The Sterling Heights plant that employs about 6,000 union workers is critical for the company as it builds the highly profitable Ram 1500 pickup, one of the automaker's top sellers. The facility has recently been run at full capacity, on "emergency status," to churn out as many pickups as possible and make up for previous production hiccups related to an engine shortage, the union leader said.

Spencer previously told The Detroit News that union officials had grown increasingly frustrated over the last year and filed a series of grievances after Stellantis hired outside contractors to do certain work inside the plant, rather than letting the plant's own union-represented skilled tradespeople bid on the jobs.

Such projects by workers who include electricians, pipefitters and millwrights might involve repairing a production line, or installing new lights inside the plant.

UAW officials indicated on the video podcast that the skilled trades workers would now be able to bid on the work.

"This local has stood by us in this fight to take our house back," said Mike Hudson, Local 1700's skilled trades committeeman.

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