Striking John Deere employees consider company’s second attempt at settling contract amid union negotiations.
Striking John Deere employees have a new deal to consider. The farm equipment manufacturer and United Auto Workers Union (UAW) reached a tentative agreement on October 30, following a more than two-week standoff between 10,000 workers and the company. CNN reports that it’s the second time around for negotiators, after 90 percent of union members rejected a contract offer at the start of October, leading to the strike. That contract would have included 5-6 percent pay raises and improvements to benefits and pensions—but would have kept in place two different types of pension plans, which rankled longtime employees, CNN reports. The new potential six-year agreement reached Saturday “contains enhanced economic gains and continues to provide the highest quality healthcare benefits in the industry,” UAW said in a statement. The contract would apply to workers in 12 plants and 100 workers in two parts facilities. UAW members continue to strike until the next vote.
