John Deere and the United Auto Workers Union reach tentative agreement following two-week strike

Vanessa Yurkevich, CNN Business

John Deere and the United Auto Workers Union have reached a new tentative agreement, more than two weeks after 10,000 John Deere workers went on strike, both parties announced Saturday.

“Our UAW John Deere national bargaining team went back to our local members after the previous tentative agreement and canvassed the concerns and priorities of membership,” said Ray Curry, president of the UAW.Workers went on strike October 14 after 90% of union members rejected the first tentative agreement.

This second tentative agreement “contains enhanced economic gains and continues to provide the highest quality healthcare benefits in the industry,” the UAW said in a statement.

The main sticking points centered on compensation and fairness for different workers having different pension plans, according to a person with knowledge of the negotiations.

“The negotiators focused on improving the areas of concern identified by our members during our last ratification process,” said Chuck Browning, Vice President of the UAW.

The new six-year agreement will cover 10,100 employees across 12 plants — as well as 100 more workers in two parts facilities, John Deere said in a statement Saturday.

Members will remain on strike until they vote on this new agreement.

The-CNN-Wire
™ & © 2021 Cable News Network, Inc., a WarnerMedia Company. All rights reserved.