Approximately 3,500 Mack Trucks workers in Allentown and Middletown, Pa.; Hagerstown and Baltimore, Md.; and Jacksonville, Fla., went on strike over the weekend seeking fair pay, benefits, job security and resolution to other matters, according to a statement by the United Auto Workers (UAW).
The UAW states unresolved issues by Mack Trucks include wage increases, job security, cost of living adjustments, wage progression, skilled trades, shift premium, holiday schedules, work schedules, health and safety, seniority, pension, 401(k), health care and prescription drug coverage, overtime, subcontracting and temporary/supplemental workers.
“Based on our strong past relationship with the Mack Truck group, we are confident that further discussion of these, and other open issues, will result in progress toward the goal of a contract that works for both the company and its UAW members,” says Ray Curry, UAW secretary-treasurer and director of the Heavy Truck Department. “But the fact remains that our members are united in standing together to strike until Mack agrees to resolve these significant issues.”
On Saturday, Mack Trucks President Martin Weissburg issued a statement regarding the union’s decision to strike.
“We are surprised and disappointed that the UAW decided to strike rather than to allow our employees to keep building trucks and engines while the parties continued to negotiate. The positive working relationship between local UAW leadership and management at our facilities was clearly in evidence throughout the negotiations and progress was being made.
“Mack Trucks is part of the only heavy-truck manufacturing group that assembles all of its trucks and engines for the North American market here in the United States, and continues to compete against products built in lower-cost countries. We have no plans to close any U.S. manufacturing; on the contrary, we’ve invested more than $400 million in our plants and logistics network over the last 10 years, and since 2015 have in-sourced work that has created more than 500 jobs in our U.S. factories. We have significant new investments in both facilities and products on the way.
“We are committed to the collective bargaining process and remain confident that we will be able to arrive at an agreement that provides a competitive wage and benefit package for our employees and families and helps to ensure the company’s competitiveness.”
Mack is part of the Volvo Group, which also includes Volvo Trucks North America. Chris Heffner, manager of public relations for Mack Trucks, told TPS sister publication CCJ that while no Volvo trucks are built at the five Mack facilities, the Hagerstown, Md., location supplies engines and transmissions to Volvo’s North River Valley Plant in Dublin, Va. Heffner added that if the strike continues, Volvo truck production could be affected in addition to Mack truck production.
