SPRING HILL, Tenn. (WTVF) — The UAW strike against the Big Three US automakers is apparently not officially over. Several local chapters including the one in Spring Hill have rejected the agreement.
The chapter that represents the Spring Hill GM plant has now voted against ratifying the contract 67 percent to 33 percent.
"We had very mediocre contracts the last four of them, so a lot of people just feel it's our time to strike while the iron's hot and to get as much as we can back that we lost previously," said UAW Local 1853 president, John Rutherford.
They join other plants like GM in Flint, Michigan and Ford in Louisville that have also voted against the contract. Keep in mind, that tentative agreement fell short of some demands.
"Some things we got and some thing we didn't," said Rutherford.
The union wanted a 40 percent wage increases over the 4-year duration of the contract as well as a four-day workweek at full-time pay. But settled on a 25 percent accumulated wage increase and set aside its demand for a four-day workweek.
That did not sit well with many members.
"You reach high, you know, and you want to settle somewhere in the middle," said Rutherford. "Obviously you're not going to get everything you ask for."
The new contract needs a majority of local UAW chapters to vote in favor of ratifying or else the UAW will need to go back to the bargaining table with the Big Three. If not, they may be picking up the picket signs once again.
"Yeah, for sure," said Rutherford. "I mean that's up to our leadership up north. But I don't know how he's going to strategize, I mean he expected this vote to pass but if it does not it's back to square one."
We should know more on the overall tally among chapters later this week.
