Following a six-week-long strike against the Detroit Big Three automakers last fall, the United Auto Workers (UAW) reached a tentative agreement on a new master contract with Ford, which was ratified just a few weeks later. Fresh off that big win, the union set its signs on organizing future EV plants and automakers that operate facilities in the U.S., including Volkswagen, Mercedes-Benz, and Hyundai, to name just a few, while also supporting efforts to do the same in Mexico as well. Recently, Volkswagen workers in Chattanooga, Tennessee officially voted to join the UAW, and now, the union has also reached a tentative agreement with Daimler Truck North America, too.
The UAW managed to reach this tentative agreement with Daimler Truck mere hours before the expiration of its current deal, which officially ended the threat of a pending strike. The proposed four-year agreement delivers raises of more than 25 percent, the end of wage tiers, and the introduction of profit sharing and cost of living benefits for 7,300 workers for the first time since Daimler Truck North America workers organized previously.
“We’re here tonight to announce a major victory for the members who build Freightliner and Western Star trucks and Thomas Built buses,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. Today, we reached a tentative agreement with Daimler. What started thirty-two years ago this month at the Mt. Holly plant, when the courageous 17-day strikers stood up and won a historic, first of its kind agreement, has come full circle.”
“For months, we said that record profits should mean a record contract. And, UAW family, our determination and solidarity has delivered. We said: It shouldn’t matter if you build a heavy truck or a bus for Daimler, you should get paid the same for the same work. And we won equal pay for equal work, ending wage tiers at Daimler. ALL Daimler workers will receive a MINIMUM of a 25 percent general wage increase over the next four years. When this deal is ratified, you’ll get a 10 percent raise. Six months later, another 3 percent. Six months after that, another 3 percent. That’s a 16 percent raise in the first year of the deal, alone.”
We’ll have more on the UAW soon, so be sure and subscribe to Ford Authority for the latest Ford-UAW news, UAW news, and 24/7 Ford news coverage.
No Comments yet