Around 4,000 workers who are members of the United Auto Workers (UAW) have reached an agreement with Mack Trucks, owned by the Volvo Group, just before midnight Eastern Standard Time on Sunday. The union and the company have confirmed this. However, the UAW still needs to ratify the temporary agreement.
Mack President Stephen Roy stated that the tentative agreement would provide significantly increased wages and maintain excellent benefits for Mack employees and their families.
The UAW announced the deal on the social media platform X (formerly known as Twitter). Last month, approximately 98% of the truck company’s workers had authorized a strike, according to the UAW.
Currently, the UAW is in the third week of an ongoing strike against the Detroit 3 automakers: General Motors (GM.N), Ford, and Chrysler parent Stellantis (STLAM.MI).
If Mack workers had gone on strike, it could have strained the UAW’s limited strike fund.
In recent months, workers across various industries, including airlines, shipping, retail, and entertainment, have been advocating for better wages and benefits from large U.S. companies due to high inflation and low unemployment.
The U.S. labor movement’s efforts have gained broad national support, with a recent RushHourDaily poll showing that a majority of Americans agree with the auto workers’ and Hollywood actors’ goals for better compensation.
Mack, founded in 1900, is one of North America’s largest manufacturers of medium-duty and heavy-duty trucks, engines, and transmissions. The company sells its trucks in nearly 30 countries.
On Thursday, the company announced that its bargaining teams had reached tentative agreements, although certain discussions were still ongoing.
Mack had stated that while there were significant differences in economic matters at this point in the negotiations, progress was expected in the coming days.
Volvo acquired Mack in 2000.
Reporting by Jahnavi Nidumolu in Bengaluru; Editing by Krishna Chandra Eluri and Savio D’Souza. Our Standards: The Thomson RushHourDaily Trust Principles.
