New York
CNN
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The United Auto Workers union said nearly 4,000 members at heavy-duty truck maker Mack Trucks are on strike after voting on a tentative agreement reached a week ago.
73% of union workers voted against Proposed AgreementIt was hit a week ago.
“I’m inspired to see that UAW members at Mack are waiting for a better deal and are willing to stand up and walk off the job to win it,” said UAW President Shawn Fine. A statement Published Sunday on X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter.
The union said the rejected contract included an immediate 10% pay raise and an additional 9 percent over the five-year life of the contract, a $3,500 signing bonus, enhanced vacation and holiday days and no increase in insurance premiums paid by members. .
MacDrux president Stephen Roy was quoted by Reuters as saying he was “surprised and disappointed” that the union had chosen to strike.
“We clearly demonstrated our commitment to good faith bargaining by reaching a tentative agreement that was approved by both the International UAW and the UAW Make Truck Council,” he said in a statement.
CNN has reached out to Mack Trucks for comment.
News of the strike at the heavy-duty truck maker comes as the union continues its strike against the big three automakers.
With deliveries of 27,000 in 2022 and 16,000 in the first half of 2023, Mack Trucks is one of the major U.S. producers of heavy-duty and medium trucks. It is owned by Sweden’s Volvo Group, separate from the Volvo car brand. By Keeley of China.
The union’s stated bargaining goals at Mac reflect many of its demands in negotiations with the Big Three automakers — General Motors, Ford and Stellar, which make cars under the Jeep, Ram, Dodge and Chrysler brands — including improved wages and health care and pension benefits. .
It was the first time in the union’s history that all three unionized automakers were struck simultaneously.
Dizzy told the members Friday’s three-week strike has already prompted automakers to meet some key union demands, even if no agreement has yet been reached.
He said progress in negotiations allowed the union to abandon plans to expand the strike to other facilities. More than 25,000 union members are now on strike at five assembly plants and 38 parts distribution centers across the country.
President Joe Biden became the first sitting president to visit the picket line showed He voiced support for strikers at a striking GM facility last month.
It has become more common in recent years for rank-and-file union members to vote on tentative labor agreements reached by their union leadership.
The proposed agreement between Mack and the UAW was reached last week, minutes before the union’s contract expired on Oct. 1.
In July, 57% of FedEx pilots Voted A proposed deal was reached in May that would have provided a 30% pay rise and a 30% improvement in pension benefits.
But because those pilots and other airline employees work under different labor laws, striking workers at Make Trucks and other private businesses are not allowed to strike immediately after their labor contracts expire.
Two years ago, UAW members at John Deere Voted “No”. A tentative agreement negotiated by their union leadership. They later rejected another provisional agreement and decided to remain on strike, eventually accepting a third provisional agreement and returning to work after a five-week strike.
Strikes have become more common this year. Unions take advantage A strong US labor market Flexing their muscles and demanding better wages, benefits and working conditions for their members.
The number of one-week strikes with 100 or more strikers rose to 56 in the first nine months of this year, according to a database of labor actions kept by the Cornell University School of Industrial and Labor Relations.
That number is 65% higher than the same period last year, which means more than one strike per week.
And not even such remarkably short actions Three-day strike Last week was staged by 75,000 healthcare workers at Kaiser Permanente.
Unions involved in that strike had previously planned to return to work after three days, but they have threatened a longer strike in November if their demands for better pay and improved staffing are not met.