After members of United Auto Workers (UAW) Local 933 threatened to walk off the job at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis (ATI), the corporate giant agreed to a deal.
“The best thing about this is that we made no concessions, none whatsoever,” UAW Local 933 Bargaining Chairman George Freeman III said.
Allison Transmission is the world’s largest company specializing in medium- to heavy-duty transmissions for commercial vehicles.
The proposed tentative agreement presented by Allison Transmission was rejected by a significant margin of 96% “no” on Dec. 1, 2023, ushering in an impending doom of a strike.
“If there wasn’t a threat of a strike, we would have never gotten what we wanted,” UAW Local 933 member Zachary Boyd said.
The last time Allison Transmission went on strike was during the 1970s, according to Freeman.
Of 1,521 votes, 81.8% voted “yes” on the new UAW-ATI Tentative Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA).
The new CBA offers many advancements for UAW members at Allison Transmission, including a starting wage increase from $14.72 an hour to $20 an hour.
“We could barely afford the cost of living,” Allison Transmission employee and UAW Local 933 member Kendra Davis said regarding wages before the new deal.
Freeman said the new deal can increase wages up to $35 an hour.
Related: UAW Members at Allison Transmission in Indianapolis Prepare for First Big U.S. Strike of 2024
More highlights of the new CBA between UAW Local 933 and Allison Transmission include:
- $7,000 ratification bonuses
- Retiree bonuses
- Implementation of income protections
- Two-week parental leave
- PPE improvements
- Enhancements to vision and dental coverage
- 401(k) match of 8%
- The obliteration of wage and shift premium tiers
“I feel blessed to be a part of contracts like this that will literally change our members’ lives,” UAW Region 2B Director David Green said in a statement.
The CBA also adds a new PTO holiday to the contract: Juneteenth.
“It is not a perfect deal, but it is pretty damn close,” Freeman said.
Contact multimedia staff writer Noral Parham III at 317-762-7846 or via email at noralp@indyrecorder.com. Follow him on Twitter @3Noral. For more news courtesy of the Indianapolis Recorder, click here.
