John Deere Equipment Manufacturer Union Workers voted to approve a revised contract on Wednesday. This ends a strike that was sustained by nearly 10,000 workers at 14 locations over the past five weeks.
The new agreement is valid for six years. includes a 10 percent wage increase, 5 percent raisesIn 2023 and 2025, and the preservation of a previous pension programThe company had Originally, the idea was to cutFor people hired after a specific date. The contract also includes an $8,500 signing bonus.
The contract was ratified by 61 percent of the members voting in favor and 39% voting against. The strike was the largest in the countryThere are many ways to get involved in a Wave of strikes and labor movements. One union member diedDuring the strike after being struck by a car as he was walking towards the picket line.
United Auto Workers (UAW) has described the agreement as “groundbreaking” and standard-setting.
“The sacrifice and solidarity displayed by our John Deere members combined with the determination of their negotiators made this accomplishment possible,” said Chuck Browning, UAW vice president. “They have started a movement for workers in this country by what was achieved here today and they have earned the admiration and respect of all that strive for what is just and equitable in the workplace.”
Union members had rejected previous contracts offering lower pay hikes and nixing pensions for new hires — provisions that one worker called “a slap in the face,” according to Labor Notes. After the company offered several benefits, workers started striking in October. Inadequate contracts. Workers claimed that increased demand and long hours had made it difficult to work. Meanwhile, The company was reportingRecord earnings
John Deere had tried to break the strikeWorkers were denied health care benefits at October’s end. Labor advocates and Senator Bernie Sanders (I-Vermont) criticized the decision. who called the move “beyond outrageous.”
The company claimed last week that it had “economically exhausted” its offers, which some workers questioned. “Look at what they’re paying executives,” welder Chuck Smith told the Des Moines Register. “Look at what they’re giving their CEO. It’s corporate greed.”
Others expressed relief at the new agreement. “I’m exhausted and nervous, but I’m proud of what was accomplished,” Illinois John Deere worker Kristin Jordan told The Washington Post.
The new contract comes at a time when thousands of workers across the nation are either actively striking or preparing to strike. About 40,000 Kaiser Permanente workersWe are striking starting on Thursday in solidarity with roughly 600 engineersAccording to them, they are not paid as well as workers in similar positions throughout Northern California. The company had reached an agreement with32,000 employees were set to strike against a tiered-pay system that would pay employees after 2023 lower wages.
University of Pittsburgh Medical Center workers also striking on Thursday; Boston Museum of Fine Arts workers went on strike on Wednesday; and bus drivers in Minneapolis are saying that they’re prepared to strikeover safety and low pay. Meanwhile, Kellogg’s workers are on the seventh week of their strike, and the company has filed a lawsuitThe union is claiming that strikers are blocking entry to the plant.
