Phil Helsel
NOV. 17,2021
More than 10,000 striking John Deere workers will go back to work after approving a new agreement that union leadership called a landmark deal.
More than 10,000 striking John Deere workers will go back to work after approving a new agreement that union leadership called a landmark deal.
© Provided by NBC News
Workers at 14 Deere & Co. locations have been on strike since Oct. 14 after the union overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer that would’ve delivered 5 percent raises to some workers and 6 percent to others.
On Wednesday, members ratified a new six-year agreement that includes 10 percent increases in wages this year, and a total increase of 20 percent over the life of the contract, the United Auto Workers said.
"UAW John Deere members did not just unite themselves, they seemed to unite the nation in a struggle for fairness in the workplace,” union President Ray Curry said in a statement.
Deere CEO John C. May said the agreements give workers “the opportunity to earn wages and benefits that are the best in our industries and are groundbreaking in many ways.
In addition to the wage increases, the newly ratified deal includes an $8,500 signing bonus, more retirement options and makes no changes to healthcare, the union said.
“It’s been good for us,” Tony Long, a worker in Ottumwa, Iowa, told NBC affiliate WHO of Des Moines. “I’m glad it worked out like this.”
The agreement was ratified by union members by 61 percent to 39 percent, the UAW said.
“Our members courageous willingness to strike in order to attain a better standard of living and a more secure retirement resulted in a groundbreaking contract and sets a new standard for workers not only within the UAW but throughout the country,” said UAW Vice President Chuck Browning in a statement.
Union members rejected a previous agreement on Nov. 2, staying on strike.
Deere reported record profits this year. It has said its net income is projected to be $5.7 to $5.9 billion.
There have been a number of strikes or threatened strikes across the country this year as workers demand better conditions.
Around 1,400 Kelloggs workers went on strike Oct. 5, and have not returned to work. Nabisco workers also went on strike for weeks before ratifying a new deal in September.
In the entertainment industry, around 60,000 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees threatened to strike, with members citing long hours, no weekends off and no rest periods between shifts. Union membership voted this week to ratify a deal, ending the strike threat.
Workers at 14 Deere & Co. locations have been on strike since Oct. 14 after the union overwhelmingly rejected a contract offer that would’ve delivered 5 percent raises to some workers and 6 percent to others.
On Wednesday, members ratified a new six-year agreement that includes 10 percent increases in wages this year, and a total increase of 20 percent over the life of the contract, the United Auto Workers said.
"UAW John Deere members did not just unite themselves, they seemed to unite the nation in a struggle for fairness in the workplace,” union President Ray Curry said in a statement.
Deere CEO John C. May said the agreements give workers “the opportunity to earn wages and benefits that are the best in our industries and are groundbreaking in many ways.
In addition to the wage increases, the newly ratified deal includes an $8,500 signing bonus, more retirement options and makes no changes to healthcare, the union said.
“It’s been good for us,” Tony Long, a worker in Ottumwa, Iowa, told NBC affiliate WHO of Des Moines. “I’m glad it worked out like this.”
The agreement was ratified by union members by 61 percent to 39 percent, the UAW said.
“Our members courageous willingness to strike in order to attain a better standard of living and a more secure retirement resulted in a groundbreaking contract and sets a new standard for workers not only within the UAW but throughout the country,” said UAW Vice President Chuck Browning in a statement.
Union members rejected a previous agreement on Nov. 2, staying on strike.
Deere reported record profits this year. It has said its net income is projected to be $5.7 to $5.9 billion.
There have been a number of strikes or threatened strikes across the country this year as workers demand better conditions.
Around 1,400 Kelloggs workers went on strike Oct. 5, and have not returned to work. Nabisco workers also went on strike for weeks before ratifying a new deal in September.
In the entertainment industry, around 60,000 International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees threatened to strike, with members citing long hours, no weekends off and no rest periods between shifts. Union membership voted this week to ratify a deal, ending the strike threat.
IOWA VIEW
Opinion: As John Deere employees vote, farmer and worker unity is building our communities
Striking workers have little to do with any delays farmers are experiencing to finish the harvest.
Aaron Lehman
Guest columnist
Opinion: As John Deere employees vote, farmer and worker unity is building our communities
Striking workers have little to do with any delays farmers are experiencing to finish the harvest.
Aaron Lehman
Guest columnist
NOV. 17,2021
As a central Iowa farmer, I have a lifelong attachment to John Deere equipment. As a 3-year-old, it is the brand of toy tractor that I deviously unwrapped the day before Christmas. And today, as a fifth-generation Iowa family farmer, our most recent John Deere tractor purchase has made almost all jobs on our farm easier.
When I was a young man, our family was invited to the Waterloo John Deere tractor factory to take a tour and to watch my father’s new tractor being manufactured. He was so proud as he drove the impressive machine off the assembly line.
What impressed him most was the conversations with the workers. Even though their jobs were busy and sometimes difficult, the men and women took the time to share their expertise about the new machinery and to ask how it might fit into our farm operation. The dedication and innovation of those workers made my father extremely proud of the purchase.
More:UAW members weigh consequences as they consider whether to reject John Deere's third offer
More:Rekha Basu: Do the John Deere strike and others signal hope for workers' rights post-COVID?
I am still very proud of our John Deere equipment. But I feel far more connection to the striking United Auto Workers men and women than to the culture of the global company that builds the green equipment I spend countless hours a year operating to make my living.
As I read accounts of why the workers are on strike, I appreciate their willingness to think into the future about new workers and their communities and not just about their own current comfort and the security of a modest raise. This is what community looks like. And out here in rural Iowa, I still feel connected to the kind of community these strikers represent.
As Iowa farmers and Iowa workers, we share the desire to better the fate of our families and communities. These UAW members aren’t just striking for better benefits for themselves; they represent all of us who work with our hands and our backs to make a living, to support our families and to invest in our communities.
As an Iowa farmer who shares those values, I don’t want others to use me to help turn public opinion against these workers. Supply chain issues have been a long-standing issue made worse by a massive concentration in the industry with just a very few manufacturers. The pandemic has made all these issues even more apparent.
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It may be hard to fathom for those of us whose families grew up repairing equipment, but many farmers struggle with legal issues that limit their “right to repair” their own equipment. Many farmers like me join the striking workers in our belief that there are simply too few in the industry that hold too much control.
Simply put, striking workers have little to do with any delays farmers are experiencing to finish the harvest.
Our rural values inform our knowledge that our communities require unity among farmers and workers. The only way to level the playing field in agriculture and agribusiness is by working together. Sometimes that means prevailing through tough labor negotiations. Sometimes that means insisting on fair public policy like tight anti-trust enforcement.
There was a day when it worked to pit farmers against unions. There was a day when farmers might have felt more connected to the equipment and its color than we did to the workers who build it. But those days have long since passed. Farmers have far more in common with those workers on the picket line than with global companies that make massive profits at the expense of both of us.
Aaron Lehman, a central Iowa farmer, is president of the Iowa Farmers Union.
As a central Iowa farmer, I have a lifelong attachment to John Deere equipment. As a 3-year-old, it is the brand of toy tractor that I deviously unwrapped the day before Christmas. And today, as a fifth-generation Iowa family farmer, our most recent John Deere tractor purchase has made almost all jobs on our farm easier.
When I was a young man, our family was invited to the Waterloo John Deere tractor factory to take a tour and to watch my father’s new tractor being manufactured. He was so proud as he drove the impressive machine off the assembly line.
What impressed him most was the conversations with the workers. Even though their jobs were busy and sometimes difficult, the men and women took the time to share their expertise about the new machinery and to ask how it might fit into our farm operation. The dedication and innovation of those workers made my father extremely proud of the purchase.
More:UAW members weigh consequences as they consider whether to reject John Deere's third offer
More:Rekha Basu: Do the John Deere strike and others signal hope for workers' rights post-COVID?
I am still very proud of our John Deere equipment. But I feel far more connection to the striking United Auto Workers men and women than to the culture of the global company that builds the green equipment I spend countless hours a year operating to make my living.
As I read accounts of why the workers are on strike, I appreciate their willingness to think into the future about new workers and their communities and not just about their own current comfort and the security of a modest raise. This is what community looks like. And out here in rural Iowa, I still feel connected to the kind of community these strikers represent.
As Iowa farmers and Iowa workers, we share the desire to better the fate of our families and communities. These UAW members aren’t just striking for better benefits for themselves; they represent all of us who work with our hands and our backs to make a living, to support our families and to invest in our communities.
As an Iowa farmer who shares those values, I don’t want others to use me to help turn public opinion against these workers. Supply chain issues have been a long-standing issue made worse by a massive concentration in the industry with just a very few manufacturers. The pandemic has made all these issues even more apparent.
Your stories live here.
Fuel your hometown passion and plug into the stories that define it.
Create Account
It may be hard to fathom for those of us whose families grew up repairing equipment, but many farmers struggle with legal issues that limit their “right to repair” their own equipment. Many farmers like me join the striking workers in our belief that there are simply too few in the industry that hold too much control.
Simply put, striking workers have little to do with any delays farmers are experiencing to finish the harvest.
Our rural values inform our knowledge that our communities require unity among farmers and workers. The only way to level the playing field in agriculture and agribusiness is by working together. Sometimes that means prevailing through tough labor negotiations. Sometimes that means insisting on fair public policy like tight anti-trust enforcement.
There was a day when it worked to pit farmers against unions. There was a day when farmers might have felt more connected to the equipment and its color than we did to the workers who build it. But those days have long since passed. Farmers have far more in common with those workers on the picket line than with global companies that make massive profits at the expense of both of us.
Aaron Lehman, a central Iowa farmer, is president of the Iowa Farmers Union.
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