John Deere Workers Agree To New Contract After Month Long Strike

Workers at John Deere agreed to a six-year contract Wednesday, ending a strike that lasted over a month.

The United Auto Workers (UAW) union that represents 10,000 John Deere workers announced that its members voted 61% to 39% in favor of a deal that included an $8,500 signing bonus, an instant 10% increase in wages which will increase over the lifetime of the contract and improve retirement benefits, UAW said in a statement.

“UAW John Deere members did not just unite themselves, they seemed to unite the nation in a struggle for fairness in the workplace,” UAW president Ray Curry said in the statement. “We could not be more proud of these UAW members and their families.”

“The sacrifice and solidarity displayed by our John Deere members combined with the determination of their negotiators made this accomplishment possible,” said UAW vice president Chuck Browning. “They have started a movement for workers in this country by what was achieved here today and they have earned the admiration and respect of all that strive for what is just and equitable in the workplace.”

John Deere workers first went on strike on Oct. 14 when UAW said the company “failed to present an agreement that met our members’ demands and needs,” according to a UAW statement at the time.

The company’s initial offer would have increased salaries by up to 6% for employees. Roughly 90% of the employees voted against the contract, the Daily Caller News Foundation reported.

John Deere workers rejected a second contract offer from the company on Nov. 3, the DCNF reported.