Approximately 4,000 union workers at Mack Trucks facilities initiated a strike on Monday morning after rejecting a tentative contract on Sunday evening.
The striking Mack workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Florida are represented by the United Auto Workers (UAW) union, which is actively engaged in separate negotiations with three major Detroit automakers.
According to UAW President Shawn Fain’s letter sent on Sunday to the director of employee relations at Volvo, which owns Mack, 73 percent of workers voted against the tentative deal.
The union confirmed that Mack workers walked out at 7 a.m., intensifying the pressure on the automotive industry.
In a statement released on Monday, the UAW stated that over 30,000 UAW workers across 22 states are now on strike.
UAW President Fain expressed support for the striking workers at Mack Trucks, saying, “I’m inspired to see UAW members at Mack Trucks holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it.”
While union leaders reached a tentative agreement with Mack on October 1, there are several unresolved issues, including wage increases, cost of living allowances, job security, and healthcare, among others, as mentioned in Fain’s letter.
Mack Trucks spokesperson referred to a Sunday statement by Mack President Stephen Roy, expressing surprise and disappointment over the union’s decision to strike.
The statement also highlighted that the UAW had hailed the tentative agreement as a record for the heavy truck industry.
“The members have the final say, and it’s their solidarity and organization that will win a fair contract at Mack,” stated Fain.
The Hill reached out to the UAW for comment but did not receive a response.
Representative David Trone (D-Maryland) expressed his support for the striking workers in his district, stating, “I stand with UAW 171 today as they begin a strike in Hagerstown. Union workers built this country to what it is today, and I have and will always fight to ensure American workers and their families have the benefits they so rightly earned. We support you every step of the way.”
The UAW has set high expectations in its negotiations with Ford, General Motors, and Stellantis, the three major Detroit automakers that faced targeted strikes at selected facilities starting September 15.
Initially, the strikes targeted one assembly plant for each automaker. The union later expanded the strikes to include 38 GM and Stellantis parts warehouses and two additional Ford and GM assembly plants.
On Friday, the UAW announced that it would not expand the strikes after GM agreed to include electric vehicle facilities in the UAW contract and made progress with all three automakers.
Updated at 12:44 p.m.
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