Labor and Unions

[47of74]

Big news here in Iowa is that Deere workers may be going out on strike soon. 

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More than 10,000 Deere & Co. workers appear ready to go on strike if negotiators can’t deliver a new agreement by the end of the day.

The United Auto Workers union has said its members would walk off the job if no deal has been reached by 11:59 p.m. Wednesday. The vast majority of the union rejected a contract offer earlier this week that would have delivered at least 5% raises.

Pretty big fornicating deal in this part of the country.  They’re a major employer in Dubuque and are headquartered in the Quad Cities.  It’s be a pretty safe bet that about everyone in Dubuque knows or is related to someone who works or worked at Deere. 

Last strike was in 1986.  I remember my mom mentioning before Christmas that my aunt and uncle might not be able to do as much for Christmas because of that strike.

I hope they can all iron it out soon but it’s good to see labor standing up. 

[47of74]

Well the agreement didn't happen so the UAW workers are out on strike now;

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Negotiations have broken down between Deere & Co. and the United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Workers (UAW), leading union workers to strike at midnight across all locations Thursday.

“Our members at John Deere strike for the ability to earn a decent living, retire with dignity and establish fair work rules,” said Chuck Browning, Vice President and director of the UAW’s Agricultural Implement Department. “We stay committed to bargaining until our members’ goals are achieved.”

 

[Cartmann99]

 

[47of74]

Workers now have something of an advantage unlike the past few decades

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New York (CNN Business)Workers are saying enough is enough.

And many of them are either hitting the picket lines or quitting their jobs as a result.

The changing dynamics of the US labor market, which has put employees rather than employers in the driver's seat in a way not seen for decades, is allowing unions to flex their muscle.

Already on strike are 10,000 workers at John Deere (DE), who hit the picket lines early Thursday after rejecting a tentative deal which would have improved wages and benefits. They joined 1,400 strikers at Kellogg (K) who are upset with seven-day work weeks and a two-tier retirement system. Other unions are preparing for walkouts of their own.

 

[47of74]

Some local businesses are stepping up to the plate to support the strikers.

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Various local businesses have stepped up on social media in support of John Deere employees on strike. Restaurants including The Pub, Legends Corner, Fields of Pizza, The Captain’s Table, and Tap 22 (a larger list will be included at the end of the story) have offered free or discounted meals for any UAW member that shows their union card.

Some restaurants like The Pub and Legends Corner in Milan even have picket signs on their windows stating UAW STRIKE, showing their support to union members.

Mel Hesse owns The Pub and is offering free pulled pork sandwiches to those on the picket line. On Friday, she cooked 70 pounds of pork and was offering it to members until she ran out. That’s something Hesse says she’ll do at least once a week. “Wefelt we needed to help out a little and support them. My husband is a union worker and a lot of them have supported me over the years so we had to support them,” she adds.

Right next door, Legends Corner is offering a an $8 meal for a burger and beer. Greg Hiner says he was borned and raised in the Quad Cities and says strikes like these “impact all of the Quad Cities... you learn to help all you can.”

 

[Ozlsn]

On 10/16/2021 at 5:32 AM, Cartmann99 said:

 

Surely that isn't legal - isn't training a requirement for starting this work? If one of these office workers gets badly injured or worse what are the legal repercussions for the company? I'm really surprised they would even try this.

[47of74]

On 10/16/2021 at 6:03 PM, Ozlsn said:

Surely that isn't legal - isn't training a requirement for starting this work? If one of these office workers gets badly injured or worse what are the legal repercussions for the company? I'm really surprised they would even try this.

If they were like the one place I worked they probably had all the salaried people out on the floor a few months ahead of time doing job shadowing and other training.  One year they had all the IT people shadowing except the one who was pregnant and she was not looking forward to basically covering the whole department at the time.

[47of74]

ooops

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The union representing employees at the Heaven Hill Distillery in Bardstown says a truck crash near the facility on Wednesday was caused by a driver making a "threatening gesture" towards striking worker.

A "non-union delivery driver" was driving "a truck with flammable cargo" at "an unsafe speed," the United Food and Commercial Workers said in a statement Wednesday night, when they "took their hands off the steering wheel to make a threatening gesture to a UFCW Local 23D member on strike, and the truck veered out of control and flipped over."

 

[47of74]

Fucking ugh

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Rock Island County Coroner Brian Gustafson confirmed a man was struck and killed by a vehicle early Wednesday near the John Deere Parts Distribution Center in Milan.

At 6:02 a.m., Milan police responded to Rock Island Milan Parkway and Deere Drive for a report of a person hit by a car. Police say the initial investigation shows the man, whose name has not been released, was crossing the Rock Island Milan Parkway at Deere Drive when he was struck.

Brian Rothenberg, director of public relations for UAW International, confirmed that the 56-year-old man is a member of Milan Local 79 and worked at the facility for 15 years.

 

[47of74]

UAW members ratified the third offer this evening so the strike has come to an end.

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United Auto Workers union members Wednesday voted to accept a contract agreement with Deere & Company, ending the strike that began more than a month ago. According to UAW 281 and 838, 61% of union members voted to ratify the contract while 39% voted against it.

“I’m pleased our highly skilled employees are back to work building and supporting the industry-leading products which make our customers more profitable and sustainable,” said John C. May, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer for Deere.

Local 281 in Davenport reports 77% of their union members voted in favor of the contract. UAW Local 838 in Waterloo reports 44% of their members voted for the contract while 56% voted against it. Local 434 in Moline reports 79% of their members voted in favor of the contract.

Workers are expected to start their shifts immediately, according to Deere. The third shift starts as soon as 11 p.m. Wednesday.

Sounds like it was closer to what the union membership wanted from Deere.