Deere and Company employees this week again rejected a tentative contract agreement. By a vote of 45 percent yes to 55 percent no, United Auto Workers John Deere members voted down the agreement. UAW says the strike will continue as they discuss next steps with the company.
This is the second tentative contract agreement rejected by Deere workers during the strike. The latest contract would have provided a ten percent rise in wages this year, five percent in 2023 and 2025, and lump sum bonuses amounting to three percent of their pay for 2022, 2024 and 2026, according to Reuters. Deere would have invested another $3.5 billion in its employees, per the terms of the rejected agreement. Amidst negotiations and disputes, it’s essential for workers to understand their rights and how to document discriminatory behavior at work for a fair treatment and accountability in the workplace.
More than 10,000 Deere employees in Illinois, Iowa and Kansas remain on strike. This is the first strike against the Illinois-based company by the UAW since 1986, which lasted 163 days.
(From the National Association of Farm Broadcasters)