UAW Union Votes ‘No’ – John Deere Strike To Continue
The strike will continue for Deere and Co. workers. The United Auto Workers Union voted down the latest offer from the company that proposed a worker bonus and higher wages, according to the Cedar Rapids Gazette.
The vote on Tuesday night was 55% opposed and 45% in favor of the proposal. The agreement would've offered improved wages and benefits from the first agreement, which was voted down back on October 10th. The six-year contract would have covered over 10,000 production and maintenance workers at 12 John Deere facilities in Iowa, Illinois, and Kansas according to the Gazette. Without an agreement, the strike continues.
So what did the UAW vote to turn down Tuesday? Here are some of the items that were included in the proposal.
- Workers would have received an immediate 10% increase in wages the first year, and 5% in years three and four. In the second, fourth, and sixth years, workers would get a 3% raise. If the deal had been approved, workers would have received an $8500 bonus as well.
- There would have been no changes to the cost of health care. Workers would pay $0 in premiums, have NO deductibles or coinsurance, and have no changes in their co-pays.
- Workers would have gotten two weeks of paid parental leave. Insurance would also cover autism care, vision including frames, lenses, and exams.
- Current and future union workers would have been able to choose between the traditional-plus and choice-plus retirement plans.
- The retirement bonus for both plans would have been $37,500 for 10 to 24 years of service and $50,000 for 25 years or more.
The vote is a setback for both the union and Deere and Co. as both sides have been meeting since before the strike began.