United Auto Workers leadership this week said the first big strike of 2024 could happen at an Indiana transmission plant.
Workers at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis have been working without a contract since Nov. 14 and are negotiating a contract through the UAW. Workers almost universally rejected the first proposed contract.
Around 1,500 UAW members at Allison are threatening to strike if the company doesn’t meet their demands for higher pay and better working conditions. The union hasn’t set a strike deadline.
Many workers feel the company didn’t keep pace with inflation and that conditions have worsened since the 2008 recession.
“I would love to go back to where it was, you know, good benefits and good pay. You got workers out there working a lot more hours than we worked, with a lot less pay,” retired Allison employee Donald Reed said in a UAW statement. “It should be better than it was when I was working there. It’s not. That’s a shame.”
Besides the demand for higher pay, the UAW wants the elimination of employee tiers and significant improvements to benefits.
“Enough is enough, we’ve told the company,” the UAW said in a statement. “They’ve had their turn; now it’s our turn.
Allison’s leadership said it’s dedicated to the collective bargaining process and expects to reach a deal that helps both parties.
“Our goal is to reach an agreement that supports Allison’s vision, values and brand promise,” the company said in a statement. “We have enjoyed a successful 80+ year partnership with the UAW and expect to continue that rapport during the negotiation process.”
Negotiations at Allison come after the UAW secured significant contract gains at Ford, General Motors and Jeep maker Stellantis last year.
The union’s show of strength in Indiana is part of its aggressive 2024 strategy. One of the cornerstones of that policy is securing popular contracts for members to attract nonunion auto shops to sign UAW cards.
The UAW says thousands of workers at nonunion shops have already signed such cards.
• Vaughn Cockayne can be reached at vcockayne@washingtontimes.com.
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