Members of United Auto Workers Local 5285 in
The more than 1,500 workers, members of UAW Local 5285 in Region 8, approved the agreement by a 3-to-1 margin on Sunday, Aug. 27. The previous agreement expired at midnight, Friday, Aug. 25, but bargainers continued to talk and reached a tentative agreement several hours later.
“Our members at Local 5285 and our International Union bargaining team can be proud of this contract,'' said UAW vice president General Holiefield, who directs the union's Heavy Truck Department and its DaimlerChrysler Department. “These workers maintained solidarity throughout the entire process. I think that was the key to reaching an agreement that is fair to all parties.”
“Our bargaining committee was committed to bringing our membership a fair and equitable contract,” said UAW Local 5285 president and shop chairman Bob Riggins. “We are extremely pleased to be able to maintain health care with no additional co-pays and to maintain retiree health benefits. In these days, that’s almost impossible to do.”
The new agreement provides 3 percent base wage increases for top rate employees in the first three years of the contract and a 2 percent increase in 2009. Other contract highlights include a $1,500 signing bonus, continued health care benefits for retirees, improvements in health and safety, a $1,100 profit share payout, a new gain-sharing program with built-in quarterly payouts when targets are met, no increases in medical co-pays and no increases in prescription drug co-pays.
The agreement expires April 2, 2010.
Since 2003, more than 6,000 workers at seven Freightliner facilities in
