GM, union mandate masks at Wentzville plant
“If there’s one person not vaccinated we still have to do our due diligence on keeping everyone safe at the end of the day,” said Jamison. Author: Holden Kurwicki Updated: 6:30 PM CDT July 21, 2021
WENTZVILLE, Mo. For workers at GM’s Wentzville assembly plant in St. Charles County, masks are now mandatory across all shifts.
It’s no secret that the pandemic has caused big problems across the auto industry.
“We’re trying to stay safe for the pandemic along with the chip shortage that we’ve been having it’s been a learning curve but we’re here to meet the demands and do what we can safely,” said United Auto Workers Local 2250 President Frederick Jamison.
Volvo Mack Truck strike ends
By Martha Grevatt posted on July 21, 2021
Striking Volvo Mack Truck workers, Dublin, Va.
Members of United Auto Workers Local 2069 are returning to work after striking Volvo Mack Truck on-and-off since April 17. The 2,900 workers in the small town of Dublin, Va., had voted to reject three unacceptable contracts, twice with 90% voting no and the third time with 60% against.
After rejecting the most recent tentative agreement July 9, they were given the same contract as “last, best offer” for a second vote July 14, when it passed by only 17 votes.
Volvo’s truck division has made record profits, and workers wanted to get back some of what they gave up in previous contracts. They wanted to uphold the basic principle of “equal pay for equal work” and eliminate two-tier pay. This onerous system, widespread in UAW plants, means lower seniority workers make less money and/or receive inferior benefits compared to higher seniority workers doing t
Virtual standoff at Volvo Trucks as workers oppose speedup on first full workday after five-week strike
Volvo Trucks workers reported that very little if any production took place at the New River Valley (NRV) plant in Dublin, Virginia, on Monday, the first full day back on the job after the conclusion of a five-week strike by nearly 3,000 workers. Workers who spoke to the
World Socialist Web Site described a virtual standoff between workers and Volvo management, which is seeking to make up production lost during the walkout.
New River Valley workers (Source: Volvo Group)
Returning workers also had angry confrontations with officials from United Auto Workers Local 2069 Monday. Local officials had worked with the UAW International to force a revote last week on a third tentative agreement which nearly two-thirds of the workers had rejected days earlier. The UAW claimed the contract passed by only 17 votes Wednesday and immediately shut down the strike.
UAW claims revote of Volvo Trucks contract passes by 17 ballots, while workers raise accusations of fraud
United Auto Workers Local 2069 announced at 8:43 p.m. Wednesday evening that the revote on a tentative agreement previously rejected by Volvo Trucks workers in Dublin, Virginia passed by 17 votes. Within 30 minutes of the announcement, the UAW told workers that pickets were being shut down and the strike ended “as we speak.”
According to the local, out of a total of 2,369 votes cast for the common language portion of the contract, 1,193 voted “yes” and 1,176 voted “no,” or in percentage terms, 50.3 percent to 49.7 percent. The UAW claims the section of the contract covering hourly workers passed by a similar margin, 1,147 to 1,130. The section covering salaried workers was rejected, with 54 “no” votes versus 40 “yes” votes.
Volvo Trucks workers denounce UAW officials, call for decisive rejection in contract revote
Hundreds of angry Volvo Trucks workers flooded the United Auto Workers Local 2069 union hall in Dublin, Virginia early Monday morning to confront UAW officials who agreed to hold a revote on a tentative agreement that nearly two-thirds of the workforce rejected last Friday. Defying the will of the majority, the UAW will hold a ratification vote on the concessionary agreement this Wednesday.
Striking Volvo Truck workers [Source: UAW Local 2069/Facebook]
On Sunday, Volvo declared that the tentative deal, the third UAW-backed agreement to be defeated by workers since May, was its “last, best and final” offer. Management said it would implement the agreement on Monday and urged striking workers to break ranks and cross the picket lines to resume work under the terms of the rejected contract.