Negotiations are over between Mack Trucks and the United Auto Workers Union after a strike that’s now lasted more than a month.
A letter from the UAW announced that a meeting took place between the two parties in Philadelphia on November 7. They discussed a Master Contract, which Mack Trucks is calling their “last, best, and final offer.”
Workers at Mack Trucks in Florida, Maryland, and Pennsylvania have been on strike since they walked off the job on Monday, October 9. The strikes were expected to be avoided when a tentative agreement was reached, but the United Auto Workers union announced that they were declining the offer and proceeded with the strike.
The two parties were close to another agreement near the end of October, although no deal could be reached. Mack Trucks called the union’s demands “unrealistic.”
According to Mack Trucks’ website, the proposed deal would mean a significant increase in wages for all workers and a faster wage progression system.
During the final meeting between the UAW and Mack Trucks, the union’s requests for more revisions were denied. The company declared that they had reached a deadlock and gave their final offer. According to the UAW, although some significant local changes were added during the negotiations process, the final offer is the same agreement that was initially voted down.
The proposal will now be brought to the workers for a vote. If it’s voted down, there will be no ratification bonus and workers will be left on strike.
This would likely mean that Mack Trucks would begin hiring replacements for those who refuse to cross the picket line. Insurance benefits will be cut off for those still on strike on December 1.
A vote on the final proposal will take place on November 15.
