In a last-minute deal, the United Auto Workers (UAW) reached an historic agreement with Daimler Truck North America, averting a strike by over 7,000 workers at facilities in North Carolina, Georgia, and Tennessee. Union President Shawn Fain announced the four-year agreement, which includes raises of more than 25%, the end of wage tiers, and the introduction of profit-sharing and cost-of-living raises for the first time since the workers first organized with the UAW. The deal was reached just 65 minutes before the contract was set to expire, and members eagerly awaited updates from Fain, sensing that last-minute negotiations were taking place.
Fain confirmed that negotiations went down to the wire, with the company seemingly ready to talk as the deadline approached. The tentative agreement includes profit-sharing, significant raises for the lowest-paid workers at Thomas Built Bus, raises of more than $17 an hour for some skilled trade workers, increased job security, and guaranteed build rates, as well as health and safety improvements. Fain was empowered to call a walkout after a 96% vote by the workers giving the union authorization to strike if necessary, though it was ultimately not needed. The agreement must still be ratified by union members, who will vote on its approval.
Daimler Truck North America released a statement confirming the tentative agreement, with new collective bargaining agreements covering approximately 7,400 employees at various manufacturing and component facilities. The UAW members at these locations will now be asked to vote on the new contracts for mutual benefit. This victory for the UAW marks its second recent success in the south, following a vote by non-union workers at a Volkswagen assembly plant in Chattanooga, Tennessee to join the union. The UAW aims to continue organizing non-union auto workers, both foreign and domestic.
The UAW filed four unfair labor practice charges against Daimler Truck North America with the National Labor Relations Board, including allegations of retaliation against workers involved in union activities, interference with workers’ rights to organize, discrimination against union members, and failure to bargain in good faith. Fain did not address these charges in his remarks but announced a “victory rally” to celebrate the tentative new deal at a UAW local in Statesville, North Carolina. Workers at two Mercedes-Benz plants in Alabama are set to vote on joining the union in May, as the UAW continues its efforts to organize both foreign and domestic auto workers.
