John Deere and union reach tentative agreement but strike continues for now
Members of the United Auto Workers strike outside of a John Deere plant on Oct. 20 in Ankeny, Iowa. The farm equipment manufacturer reached a tentative labor agreement with the union on Saturday. Charlie Neibergall/AP hide caption
Members of the United Auto Workers strike outside of a John Deere plant on Oct. 20 in Ankeny, Iowa. The farm equipment manufacturer reached a tentative labor agreement with the union on Saturday.
Charlie Neibergall/APMOLINE, Ill. — Union workers at Deere & Co. would get wage increases of 10% in the first year and 5% each in the third and fifth years under a tentative contract reached between the farm-equipment maker and the United Auto Workers union.
The workers would get 3% lump sums in the second, fourth and sixth years of the deal. They would also get a ratification bonus of $8,500 and no changes in the cost of their health insurance, according to a summary of the agreement posted Sunday on the union website.
The company and the UAW reached a tentative agreement Saturday that would cover more than 10,000 workers at 12 Deere locations in Iowa, Illinois and Kansas. However, a strike that began Oct. 14 will continue while workers review the terms of the deal ahead of a ratification vote.
Union members previously rejected a proposed contract that included immediate 5% raises for some workers and 6% for others, and 3% raises in 2023 and 2025.
The Moline, Illinois-based company reported $4.7 billion in net income for the first nine months of its fiscal year, more than double the $2 billion of the same period a year earlier.
A labor shortage affecting many industries also gave workers more leverage to demand better pay and benefits.