Mack Trucks fired back at the striking United Auto Workers, saying it is “not prepared to jeopardize the company” to meet the union’s new economic demands.
Talks resumed Thursday in the 11-day-old strike by 3,900 workers in Pennsylvania, Maryland and Florida. The union’s new demands did not sit well with the company.
“Unfortunately, the new UAW economic demands are completely unrealistic,” Mack President Stephen Roy said in a news release late Thursday. “We’ve already shown that we’re prepared to provide our employees with significantly improved wages. But we are not prepared to jeopardize the company.”
UAW-represented employees voted 73% against a tentative agreement endorsed by local bargainers and UAW International officials.
Mack: UAW ‘ignoring three months of good-faith bargaining’
The demands “seemingly return to day one of negotiations and ignore three months of good-faith bargaining between the parties,” Roy said.
The strike began Oct. 8 at six Volvo Group facilities. They include the Lower Macungie, Pennsylvania, assembly plant that makes all Mack heavy-duty commercial trucks in North America. Mack is part of Volvo Group North America.
An engine plant in Hagerstown, Maryland, and parts distribution centers in Baltimore and Jacksonville, Florida, also are on strike.
Knock-on strike effects at Volvo avoided so far
Volvo Trucks North America (VTNA) production in Dublin, Virginia, is so far unaffected. The assembly complex in New River Valley (NRV) makes heavy-duty Volvo VNL and VNR models. The plant also builds the battery-powered VNR Electric day cab.
“Thus far, we’ve managed to minimize the impact to our aftermarket parts support,” Mack spokesperson Kimberly Pupillo said in an email. “The strike has not affected NRV production, but could if it is prolonged.”
A 12-day UAW walkout at Mack in 2019 forced VTNA to halt production because of a lack of engines. The slowing state of Class 8 tractor demand may spare the plant from downtime this time.
“Current weak freight fundamentals and largely sated pent-up tractor market demand make the case for caution,” said Kenny Vieth, ACT Research president and senior analyst.
A nonunion Mack medium-duty truck plant in Roanoke, Virginia, is unaffected by the strike. The company builds Class 6 and 7 MD Series trucks there.
Mack hoped to stay out of UAW skirmish with Detroit Three
Mack wanted to fly below the radar in its union negotiations and stay clear of a UAW strike against the Detroit Three automakers that began Sept. 15.
Now it appears the union, encouraged by defeated Mack worker and unsuccessful UAW International presidential candidate Will Lehman and a Socialist rank-and-file committee, has intertwined the Mack strike with brinkmanship in Detroit. There are 34,000 of 146,000 UAW members striking selected GM, Ford and Stellantis plants while other plants are operating.
UAW International President Sean Fain visited Local 677 in Pennsylvania last weekend. Lehman, meanwhile, walked picket lines in the Detroit area.
Mack said it looks forward to “more realistic proposals” from the union when the two sides resume talks on Monday.
Related articles:
Mack Trucks and striking UAW resume talks Thursday
UAW employees will strike at Mack Trucks after rejecting contract
Commentary: How Socialist agitating helped tank Mack-UAW deal
Click for more FreightWaves articles by Alan Adler.
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