UAW President Ray Curry announced today that the elected national bargaining team at John Deere has reached a tentative agreement.
“Our UAW John Deere national bargaining team worked tirelessly to create substantial gains for members,” said Ray Curry, UAW international president. “We want to thank the UAW bargaining team and their families who sacrificed time apart on behalf of UAW members.”
The UAW will not release details of the Tentative Agreement until members at all John Deere locations have an opportunity to meet and review the terms of their proposed contract on October 10.
A press release earlier in the day from United Auto Workers stated the union and John Deere had agreed to "extend the current collective bargaining agreement" as negotiations for a new contract continue.
The current 6-year agreement was set to expire Oct. 1 as the UAW and John Deere negotiate the next agreement. A new labor agreement would effect UAW's 10,100 production and maintenance Deere employees at 12 Deere facilities.
A recent report from the Quad City Times stated Deere employees represented by United Auto Workers Local 865 had passed a strike authorization on Sept. 12 as part of ongoing contract negotiations with Deere. The vote does not call a strike but instead gives the union the ability to call a strike on the workers' behalf should they feel it necessary.
Senior Communications Advisor at UAW Brian Rothenberg confirmed with Farm Equipment that strike authorization is commonly approved during contract negotiations.
