BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — The United Auto Workers Union strike is making national headlines — but how could it impact the Western New York community?
Elizabeth Carey, public relations director of the American Automobile Association, said car buyers currently have nothing to worry about. However, that could change if the strike continues.
"Right now, there shouldn't be an impact on prices, and if people wanted to buy a new car, there's no reason why they shouldn't be able to do that," Carey said. "If things [the strike] go for an extended period of time, that's when you might see limited inventory."
Auto part shops are in a similar situation in terms of inventory.
"For the short term, it really doesn't affect us here," Bob Gugino, owner of Bison Automotive, said. "But it will over the long term. It will make parts harder to get, especially for the newer cars and a lot of the cars we had to get from the dealerships."
Unfortunately, the quality of auto parts has been declining.
"The quality has really gone down," Gugino said. "The supply is really thin, and it's hard to get them. It takes sometimes weeks to get parts ..."
Alison Pryzbyl, a customer of Bison Automotive, came into the shop to get a used car inspected before deciding to purchase it. She said the strike has given her a sense of urgency.
"I was hoping to maybe take my time a little bit more but this [strike] has definitely expedited the process," Pryzbyl said. "I'm concerned the price — it's already high now — but post-union strike price might be even higher."
Gugino predicts prices will continue to rise.
"I think the prices are still going to go up and up," Gugino said. "Inflation is always going up. Labor dollars are going up."
Despite the strike, Carey said Western New Yorkers will still be seen driving a Ford or Chevy.
"Western New York is a really big union supporting area," Carey said. "People support not only the plants, but also the workers and the name brands of the cars."
She suggests to make sure all boxes are checked before buying a vehicle.
"It's okay to take your time and think it over. Do your checks and balances before you sign the dotted line."
