Over 4,000 UAW workers strike at Mack Trucks

Union members went on strike Monday morning after rejecting a proposed five-year contract with heavy truck manufacturer Mack Trucks. Over 4,000 United Auto Workers members in Pennsylvania, Florida, and Maryland voted against the proposed deal. The Mack Trucks strike is separate from the UAW’s ongoing strike with the top three U.S. car manufacturers.

Why did the workers reject the contract? According to the union, the contract would have included an immediate 10 percent pay increase plus 9 additional percentage points throughout the five-year contract. The contract would also have included a $3,500 signing bonus. The UAW’s strike notice said many topics remain unresolved, including wage increases, cost-of-living allowances, job security, and wage progression. Mack Trucks President Stephen Roy called the strike unnecessary, saying the company is “surprised and disappointed.”

Dig deeper: Listen to Nick Eicher and David Bahnsen discuss the strike’s origins on The World and Everything in It podcast.