Ford (NYSE:F)’s Executive Chairman, Bill Ford, issued a plea on Monday to the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, urging them to bring a 32-day strike to an end and reach a new labor agreement. He emphasized the growing impact of the strike on both the automaker and the U.S. economy.

Ford expressed his desire to halt the strike, which recently led to the shutdown of the Kentucky Truck plant. He called upon his UAW colleagues to come together and put an end to the ongoing contentious negotiations.

The strike has affected over 34,000 union members working at Ford, General Motors (NYSE:GM), and Chrysler’s parent company, Stellantis (NYSE:STLA). As a result, Ford has been forced to furlough an additional 2,480 workers, citing the repercussions of the strike.

Bill Ford, the great-grandson of the company’s founder, Henry Ford, expressed concern that other automakers such as Toyota (NYSE:TM), Honda (NYSE:HMC), and Tesla (NASDAQ:TSLA) are benefiting from the strike’s prolonged duration.

The UAW has not issued an immediate response to Bill Ford’s statements. The strike at the Kentucky Truck plant, Ford’s largest and most profitable assembly operation worldwide, has been deemed detrimental to tens of thousands of American workers, potentially causing significant economic impacts if it persists.

On the previous Friday, UAW President Shawn Fain accused Ford of using inadequate offers and called for a substantial increase in compensation. He even made reference to Ford CEO Jim Farley’s substantial pay package, suggesting that it should be used to meet the demands.

Fain further vowed to initiate strikes at additional plants whenever necessary. A senior Ford executive indicated that the automaker has reached the limit of what it can allocate for higher wages and benefits for the UAW. Their most recent offer includes a 23% wage increase through early 2028, with the company asserting that the UAW’s proposals would have led to bankruptcy if implemented in 2019.

Bill Ford has a longstanding reputation for portraying himself and his family’s company as the most union-friendly in the industry, a message he reiterated on Monday. He believes that it should be Ford and the UAW joining forces against external competitors such as Toyota, Honda, Tesla, and various Chinese companies seeking entry into the U.S. market.