United Auto Workers (UAW) members at a St. Louis-area Chrysler plant with an uncertain future has voted overwhelmingly not to accept the proposed labour agreement with the automaker.
Go deeper with GlobalData
Under the deal agreed last week after a strike lasting just hours, US industry-watchers noticed that two plants in Fenton, Missouri, though not slated for closure, were also not among those with future product listings. A UAW summary report said the long-term viability of the Fenton South Assembly plant, where Chrysler Town and Country and Dodge Caravan minivans are made, was “tied to volume” while the tentative deal said Dodge Ram pickups would be made at Fenton North to the end of the “current life cycle,” including the 2008 launch of a new model.
Local [branch] 136, which represents about 1,750 hourly workers at the truck assembly plant voted down the proposed four-year contract, the Detroit Free Press reported on Friday.
Jerry Dennison, president of UAW Local 136, told the paper 80% of the workers who voted opposed the contract, a larger margin that he had expected.
One St. Louis worker told the Free Press: “Most people I talked to said they voted no because they didn’t like anything in it.”
How well do you really know your competitors?
Access the most comprehensive Company Profiles on the market, powered by GlobalData. Save hours of research. Gain competitive edge.
Thank you!
Your download email will arrive shortly
Not ready to buy yet? Download a free sample
We are confident about the unique quality of our Company Profiles. However, we want you to make the most beneficial decision for your business, so we offer a free sample that you can download by submitting the below form
By GlobalDataIn contrast, local 72, which represents 445 hourly workers at the Chrysler engine plant in Wisconsin, overwhelmingly approved the deal, with 78% of workers voting for it, the paper said.
“We’re not really happy with it, but it is what it is,” president Dan Kirk told the Detroit Free Press. “It’s a contract we can live with.”
Other UAW members have told the paper tensions were high over whether the proposed labour agreement with Chrysler would pass with some agreeing only that passions were running higher than many could remember.
The Detroit Free Press said the Chrysler deal includes a commitment by the automaker to keep operating all but five facilities.
The UAW reportedly said Chrysler has identified more than $15bn in potential US investments and has committed to continue production at six UAW assembly plants, though in most cases the automaker has not said what will be made after current products’ lifecycles end.
Some UAW local leaders are unhappy that Chrysler is not providing the same in-depth future product guarantees found in the GM deal, the paper added.
