Lowcountry car dealerships prepare for auto union strike

SUMMERVILLE, S.C. (WCSC) - Car dealerships in the Tri-County area are preparing for a possible bumpy road in the weeks ahead.

Contract talks are still up in the air as the United Auto Workers union prepares to strike if an agreement is not met before midnight on Thursday.

The union wants a 36% boost in pay among other demands from the “Big Three,” General Motors, Ford and Stellantis.

McElveen Buick GMC General Sales Manager Tommy Dantzler said he believes this strike will happen; he just hopes it doesn’t last long.

He said on Thursday their dealership has been tracking this possible event for the past few weeks and they’ve made moves to prepare.

Parts inventory has been increased, as Dantzler explained those will be hard to get.

Used car inventory has also been increased up to about 300 cars, he said.

He added they have a good number of cars on the ground right now, and they’re doing what they can to make sure their customers are taken care of.

“The longer it goes, the worse it gets and the more it affects the market,” Dantzler said. “But in the short run, hopefully everything will be okay.”

His advice for anyone looking to buy a new car is the sooner you buy it, the better.