CONTRACTS
Workers get deal as tough as a Mack Truck
The UAW-represented workers at Mack Truck won a contract that is as solid
as the legendary trucks they build. That’s why the 2,500 workers overwhelmingly
ratified a new three-year agreement that calls for a 3 percent lump-sum payment
in each year, improves on job security, and protects the health care for active
workers and thousands of Mack retirees.
“We fought hard for our retirees because cutting benefits to the people who made Mack profitable isn’t right,” said Carl Breininger, president of UAW Local 677 and chairman of the UAW Mack National Negotiating Committee.
“We protected our future by adding tough job security and subcontracting
language.”
Under the contract, all vocational models such as refuse and construction trucks
will be built at the Volvo AB subsidiary’s Macungie, Pa., plant. The subcontracting
language will result in more work for UAW skilled-trades and general maintenance
workers.
Workers covered by the new contract are members of Local 677 in Macungie and Middletown, Pa.; Local 2301 in Baltimore; Local 171 and Local 1247 in Hagerstown, Md.; Local 472 in Atlanta, and Local 5841 in Winnsboro, S.C.
Detroit Diesel pact
A one-day strike at Detroit Diesel’s Redford, Mich., engine plant yielded a new contract with strong job security guarantees for members of UAW Local 163.
With contract talks stalled on Nov. 9, more than 1,400 union members walked off their jobs. The company, a division of Daimler- Chrysler, attempted to bus in salaried and office workers to do production jobs, but soon realized that getting skilled, experienced UAW members back on the job was in everyone’s best interests.
A tentative agreement was reached on Nov. 10, and ratified by a 78 percent majority during voting on Nov. 21. The contract runs through April 20, 2010. A key feature of the new agreement is Detroit Diesel’s commitment to build two new engine platforms in the Redford facility: the World Heavy Duty Engine program, in four different models, and the MBE 900 medium-duty engine.
“The new engine work means greater job security for UAW-represented workers at Detroit Diesel and a commitment to maintaining well-paying manufacturing jobs in metro Detroit,” said Jimmy Settles, director of UAW Region 1A.
The contract includes performance bonuses for all workers in odd years; 2 percent general wage increases in 2004, 2006 and 2008 for workers hired before October 1998, and $1-per-year wage increases for workers hired after 1998.
