After walking out on strike at midnight on June 1, UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle/Dauch Corporation have reached a tentative agreement with the company, the UAW said last night. The as yet unratified contract gets the workers’ “topline demand” of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase to the top wage rate over four years. The UAW claimed there are other “historic gains in a record contract” at the Tier 1 parts supplier to GM.*
“Tonight, after 10 days on strike, I am proud to announce that UAW Local 2093 has reached a tentative agreement at American Axle,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “And tonight, after 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them.”
In 2008, workers at American Axle took major sacrifices to save the facility from closure during the Great Recession. Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50. Legacy UAW members hired before May 31, 2012, including those who went from $29 per hour in 2008 to $14, will see an immediate $8 per hour increase on ratification. Workers also achieved gains in other core demands with more paid days off and without any concessions on their current health care costs, something the company insisted at the table couldn’t be done.
“Not only did they take care of the legacy people that were here and made the tough decisions back in 2008 to keep the place open, they took care of the people working there today,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “They also took care of all the future generations that will come to work here in Three Rivers, Michigan, at American Axle.”**
In the coming days, ~1000 UAW Local 2093 members will review the tentative agreement before taking a vote on whether to ratify the deal.
“This contract will change lives in Three Rivers and across southwest Michigan,” said Josh Jager, UAW Local 2093 bargaining chair. “I am damn proud of this agreement, and I am damn proud to be a member of UAW Local 2093.”
*AutoInformed on
**The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) says it is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy.
- UAW-represented workplaces range from multinational corporations, small manufacturers and state and local governments to colleges and universities, hospitals and private non-profit organizations.
- The UAW has more than 400,000 active members and more than 580,000 retired members in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
- There are more than 600 local unions in the UAW. The UAW currently has 1,750 contracts with some 1,050 employers in the United States, Canada and Puerto Rico.
- A unique strength of the UAW is the solidarity between its active and retired members. A solid majority of the union’s retirees stay actively involved in the life of their union, participating in retiree chapters and playing a vital role in the UAW’s community action program.
Since its founding in 1935, the UAW has consistently developed innovative partnerships with employers and negotiated industry-leading wages and benefits for its members. UAW members have benefited from a number of collective bargaining breakthroughs, including:
- The first employer-paid health insurance plan for industrial workers.
- The first cost-of-living allowances.
- A pioneering role in product quality improvements.
- Landmark job and income security provisions.
- Comprehensive training and educational programs.
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn.
He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe.
Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap.
AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks.
Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.
Striking UAW Reaches Tentative Agreement at American Axle
After walking out on strike at midnight on June 1, UAW Local 2093 members at American Axle/Dauch Corporation have reached a tentative agreement with the company, the UAW said last night. The as yet unratified contract gets the workers’ “topline demand” of $30 per hour by 2030, a more than 36% increase to the top wage rate over four years. The UAW claimed there are other “historic gains in a record contract” at the Tier 1 parts supplier to GM.*
“Tonight, after 10 days on strike, I am proud to announce that UAW Local 2093 has reached a tentative agreement at American Axle,” said UAW President Shawn Fain. “And tonight, after 18 years of sacrifice, these workers are finally winning back a big chunk of what was taken from them.”
In 2008, workers at American Axle took major sacrifices to save the facility from closure during the Great Recession. Many long-time workers who were making as much as $29 an hour in 2008 saw their wages slashed to $14.50. Legacy UAW members hired before May 31, 2012, including those who went from $29 per hour in 2008 to $14, will see an immediate $8 per hour increase on ratification. Workers also achieved gains in other core demands with more paid days off and without any concessions on their current health care costs, something the company insisted at the table couldn’t be done.
“Not only did they take care of the legacy people that were here and made the tough decisions back in 2008 to keep the place open, they took care of the people working there today,” said UAW Region 1D Director Steve Dawes. “They also took care of all the future generations that will come to work here in Three Rivers, Michigan, at American Axle.”**
In the coming days, ~1000 UAW Local 2093 members will review the tentative agreement before taking a vote on whether to ratify the deal.
“This contract will change lives in Three Rivers and across southwest Michigan,” said Josh Jager, UAW Local 2093 bargaining chair. “I am damn proud of this agreement, and I am damn proud to be a member of UAW Local 2093.”
*AutoInformed on
**The International Union, United Automobile, Aerospace and Agricultural Implement Workers of America (UAW) says it is one of the largest and most diverse unions in North America, with members in virtually every sector of the economy.
Since its founding in 1935, the UAW has consistently developed innovative partnerships with employers and negotiated industry-leading wages and benefits for its members. UAW members have benefited from a number of collective bargaining breakthroughs, including:
About Ken Zino
Ken Zino, editor and publisher of AutoInformed, is a versatile auto industry participant with global experience spanning decades in print and broadcast journalism, as well as social media. He has automobile testing, marketing, public relations and communications experience. He is past president of The International Motor Press Assn, the Detroit Press Club, founding member and first President of the Automotive Press Assn. He is a member of APA, IMPA and the Midwest Automotive Press Assn. He also brings an historical perspective while citing their contemporary relevance of the work of legendary auto writers such as Ken Purdy, Jim Dunne or Jerry Flint, or writers such as Red Smith, Mark Twain, Thomas Jefferson – all to bring perspective to a chaotic automotive universe. Above all, decades after he first drove a car, Zino still revels in the sound of the exhaust as the throttle is blipped during a downshift and the driver’s rush that occurs when the entry, apex and exit points of a turn are smoothly and swiftly crossed. It’s the beginning of a perfect lap. AutoInformed has an editorial philosophy that loves transportation machines of all kinds while promoting critical thinking about the future use of cars and trucks. Zino builds AutoInformed from his background in automotive journalism starting at Hearst Publishing in New York City on Motor and MotorTech Magazines and car testing where he reviewed hundreds of vehicles in his decade-long stint as the Detroit Bureau Chief of Road & Track magazine. Zino has also worked in Europe, and Asia – now the largest automotive market in the world with China at its center.