- United Auto Workers Local 677 represents more than 2,000 Mack Trucks workers in Lower Macungie
- A tentative contract agreement was announced last week, pending worker ratification
- The union says 73% of workers voted down the tentative deal
LOWER MACUNGIE TWP., Pa. — Union workers at Mack Trucks have voted down a tentative five-year contract agreement and went on strike at 7 a.m. Monday, according to the United Auto Workers Union.
A week after a tentative agreement was announced to avert a potential walkout, UAW President Shawn Fain said in a letter to Mack parent company Volvo Trucks that 73% of workers voted against the deal in results counted Sunday.
The UAW represents 2,300 of the 2,700 employees at Mack assembly plant in Lower Macungie outside Allentown, along with about 1,700 other workers in Maryland and Florida.
“The members have spoken, and as the highest authority in our union, they have the final word,” Fain said in a letter posted on the UAW Local 677 website. Local 677 represents the Allentown-area union workers.
They walked off the job at 7 a.m. and hit the picket line shortly after.
“Employees working at that time will exit their facilities in an orderly manner after performing tasks necessary to prevent damage to the Company’s equipment or product,” the letter says.
BREAKING: 4,000 UAW members at Mack Trucks have voted to REJECT a tentative agreement, and will STRIKE at 7 am on Monday.
— UAW (@UAW) October 9, 2023
"I'm inspired to see UAW members at Mack holding out for a better deal, and ready to stand up and walk off the job to win it," said UAW President Shawn Fain. pic.twitter.com/YFYfqikSMh
Several of the picketing workers declined comment, saying they weren't authorized to speak. A number of motorists driving past the plant honked their horns in support.
The tentative deal included a 19% pay raise over the life of the contract, no increases on health insurance premiums, and a $3,500 bonus if ratified on the first vote, according to the company.
Mack Trucks in a statement said it was disappointed and surprised that the UAW had chosen to strike.
"The company clearly demonstrated its commitment to good faith bargaining by arriving at a tentative agreement that was endorsed by both the International UAW and the UAW Mack Truck Council," it said in the statement posted on the company website.
"We remain committed to the bargaining process, and we look forward to returning to negotiations as soon as possible."Mack Trucks statement
"The UAW called the tentative agreement 'a record contract for the Heavy Truck industry.' Given other negotiations in the news, it’s important to emphasize that Mack’s market, business, and competitors are very different from those of the passenger car makers.
"We remain committed to the bargaining process, and we look forward to returning to negotiations as soon as possible."
The last Mack Trucks strike in 2019 lasted two weeks and ended after the sides agreed to a four-year contract. The most recent contract expired Oct. 1.
Local 677 workers voted to authorize a strike in September amid negotiations.
