On Sunday, May 16, United Auto Workers (UAW) workers rejected a new five-year labor agreement at Volvo Trucks North America's New River Valley (NRV) plant in Dublin, Va., presented to the approximately 2,900 members of UAW Local No. 2069 who previously went on strike on April 17 over contract negotiations.
In a statement posted to the UAW Local No. 2069 Facebook page, 91% of workers voted ‘no’ to common and hourly language while 83% voted ‘no’ to salary language.
The April 17 strike lasted for nearly two-weeks, ending on April 30. According to a statement from UAW on May 16, “members of UAW Local 2069 will continue working and go back to the bargaining table shortly.”
According to Volvo, the NRV plant employs more than 3,300 people, about 2,900 of whom are UAW members. The plant is in the midst of receiving $400 million in advanced technology upgrades and site expansion to prepare for future products, including the Volvo VNR Electric truck, which is slated for the serial production launch this spring.
“We look forward to working with the UAW to resolve whatever the outstanding issues are,” said Franky Marchand, NRV vice president and general manager. “We remain confident that we will be able to reach a mutually beneficial agreement.”
