The significance of the Volvo Truck workers’ rebellion in Virginia
On Sunday, workers at Volvo Trucks New River Valley plant in Dublin, Virginia, overwhelmingly rejected a five-year labor agreement proposed by the United Auto Workers (UAW). According to the UAW, 91 percent of the Volvo workers who cast ballots voted to reject the deal.
Striking Volvo Truck workers (Source: UAW Local 2069/Facebook)
At every point in their struggle, the nearly 3,000 workers at the Volvo plant have confronted the treachery of the UAW. Workers walked out on strike at the truck manufacturing plant on April 17, determined to reverse the concessions the UAW has handed to the Swedish-based multinational over the last four contracts. The UAW abruptly shut down the two-week strike on April 30, claiming it had reached an agreement with “significant gains” for workers. The UAW immediately ordered workers to return to their jobs without seeing, let alone voting on the agreement.