DETROIT – About 3,900 United Auto Workers members at Mack Trucks will go on strike Monday after a majority of members rejected a tentative agreement reached last week by the union and the company.
The tentative agreement was rejected by 73% of UAW members who voted, the union said Sunday night. Workers at plants in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida will strike from 7am on Monday, the UAW said online.
The Mack Trucks workers will join tens of thousands of other striking UAW members, most notably more than 25,000 workers at General Motors, Ford Motor and Stellantis. The union began targeted strikes against the Detroit automakers at selected plants on 15 September. The union has since expanded the strikes at each of the automakers.
The Mack Trucks deal was seen as a potential test of workers’ willingness to ratify a contract that didn’t meet UAW President Shawn Fain’s raised expectations for record contracts for hourly wage increases, equal pay for equal work, inflation protection and shorter work weeks.
The tentative agreement with Volvo Group-owned Mack Trucks fell well short of what the union is seeking in ongoing negotiations with Detroit automakers, prompting some workers to tell CNBC last week that they would vote against the deal.
One Mack Trucks worker described the deal as “disgraceful” and an “insult” compared to their expectations and what’s currently being negotiated by UAW international leaders with the Detroit automakers, also known as the Big Three.
“We’re the low man on the totem pole, and we’re not getting any support from the International,” a materials technician with more than 10 years’ experience said on Friday. “They’re just pushing this [tentative agreement] through so they don’t have to deal with us while the Big Three are negotiating.”
While Mack Trucks is a separate company and a different part of the union than the section that covers members at the Detroit automakers, some workers expected to receive similar raises and benefits as their union brothers at the Detroit automakers.
The tentative agreement at Mack Trucks varies by location and job, but for many workers it includes an approximately 19% wage increase over the five-year contract, including 10% upon ratification; $3,500 ratification bonuses; increased company 401(k) payments; and other benefits. It does not include the elimination of wage tiers (it only includes a one-year reduction that would bring the tiers to five years), the restoration of traditional pensions, cost-of-living adjustments to combat inflation, or shorter work weeks.
The demands of UAW negotiators with the Detroit automakers include a 40% wage increase, inflation protection in the form of cost-of-living adjustments (COLAs), work-life balance and other bonuses and benefits.
Fain, who has publicly outlined the demands of the Detroit autoworkers, cited COLA, job security, wage progression and a host of other issues as outstanding in talks with Mack Trucks.
“The members have spoken, and as the highest authority in our union, they have the final say,” Fain said in a message released by the union on Sunday. He said the union “remains committed to exploring all options to reach an agreement, but clearly we are not there yet”.
Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy said the company was “surprised and disappointed that the UAW has chosen to engage in what we believe is an unnecessary strike.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process and remain hopeful that we can reach an agreement that provides competitive wages and benefits for our employees and their families, while securing our future as a competitive company and stable, long-term employer. We look forward to returning to bargaining as soon as possible,” he said in a release on Sunday evening.
