UAW And Dauch Reach Tentative Agreement To End Strike Threatening GM Production

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union has reached a tentative agreement with the Dauch Corporation, formerly known as American Axle, to end a strike that threatened General Motors (GM) production. The strike, which involved nearly 1,000 union members at the Three Rivers plant in rural Michigan, was called over wages that were slashed during the Great Recession. In 2008, many workers saw their pay cut from as much as $29 an hour to just $14.50 in an effort to keep the facility from closing. Currently, wages top out at $22 an hour after a five-year progression. The tentative agreement will see some workers earning up to $30 per hour by 2030, a 36% increase over four years. Legacy members, who were hired before May 31, 2012, will see an immediate $8 per hour increase upon ratification. The agreement also includes more paid days off, with employees getting Veterans Day and Martin Luther King Jr. Day off, and workers with at least one year of seniority gaining an additional nine vacation days per year. A $2,000 ratification bonus and another $1,000 bonus to be paid out one year later are also part of the deal. The agreement was reached without any concessions on health care costs. UAW Local 2093 Bargaining Chair Josh Jager expressed his pride in the agreement, saying it will “change lives in Three Rivers and across southwest Michigan.” UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes also praised the agreement, saying it takes care of current and legacy members as well as future employees. The agreement still needs to be ratified by the workers.